Siberian Irises in pots...

Hello All,

I thought I'd try a few this year...3 to 5 varieties and put them in pots on our patio. I've read some info about how Siberians are happy in pots...good news for me.

Just a few questions...

1) Is there a special potting soil to use since there has to be a specific PH?

2) Since I'll be overwintering them in the pots, would I be dividing them every year? every other year?
(I will be putting the 2-4 original fans I receive from the Iris farms in each pot...not 1 fan in each)

3) I found this thread on a GW forum. A member had posted a pic of her potted SI's. I'm guessing they are 1 gal. pots. I assume that would be ok the 1st year...so guess I would have to divide every year, or just transfer into the next bigger pot the following year...then divide the 3rd year?
Here's the link to the pic...
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/iris/msg042130255131.html

4) If I receive them by the middle of April, will I see blooms this year or will I have to wait til Spring of 2012 like Bearded Irises?

TIA :)

Susan

This message was edited Feb 5, 2011 9:40 PM

Susan,

I'm a siberian iris grower, and I do not recommend planting in pots.

The thread you saw with pictures of Ritas irises, are irises waiting to be planted in the ground.

To grow siberians successfully in a pot, you will want a large pot or tub. The soil needs to be heavy and bark based. Don't worry so much about the PH, if it's bark based it will have a low enough PH. Lot's of water and full sun. If they aren't near the house you will need to take them out and sink them in the garden for the winter in your area.

Bloom is best on 2-4 year plants, so by dividing them that often you're going to get little bloom. That's one reason not to grow them in pots.

Hello Polly,

Thanks so much for all the info...much appreciated.
Darn...so much for having Siberians :(
A few of the ones I want are $30 each. I'm surprised I can't just bring the pots in and they can just go dorment til the following Spring.

I can't have the pots too big either because it would be difficult to carry them in and out of our garage. You see, we have no trees to block the winds here. We live on top of a knoll, so when we get severe T-storms that roll through here a couple of times a week during Spring/early Summer, I have to get all the pots on the patio inside or they will tip over....not to mention so many other things...like the chairs, table, etc.

There is no place to add one more garden to accommodate more Irises...I'm at max right now.
Waaaaaaaa...

Well, you can surely try. I don't know if I'd try with 30.00 ones though, LOL.

Kinda hard to explain, but in pots they are going to grow so fast you'll need to divide them every year. And then because they've been recently divided they won't bloom. Siberians have a very tangled root and rhizome system that makes them hard to divide anyway, and even more so, if grown in pots.

You might get flowering the first year, as the flower buds are set in the previous year, so if you get big enough divisions, say 5-6 fans you might get a bloom, but each year thereafter you will have the problem I mentioned in the previous paragraph.

But, give it a try. Hey, you never know, and if they look like they're going downhill maybe you can find a place for them in the garden.

Polly,

I'm like...DUH! (bangs hand on forehead)
I'm so used to gardening for so many other plants...many I overwinter in the house. I keep forgetting how different the care of Irises are...
They need to be outside in the winter...I feel like such an idiot!

I'm actually starting to consider giving away my bearded after this Spring bloom season to have Siberians instead...
Especially after I saw this one (Blyth)...
http://historiciris.blogspot.com/2009/02/siberian-iris-white-collar-blue.html

Am I crazy?

This message was edited Feb 6, 2011 5:08 PM

Hey, my favorite blog!

That is a beautiful siberian. I've never seen it available.

You are absolutely not crazy. Especially here with like minded iris addicts.

Polly,

I went back to the blog after finding a link explaining that Blyth won't be selling, listing or growing SI's anymore. I don't know if you read this part of the blog or not...
http://historiciris.blogspot.com/2009/02/barry-blyths-siberian-irises.html

Oh well, so much for dreaming of someday having 'White Collar Blue' :(

I did, Susan. I read all of Terrys blogs. He is a friend, and he has my website and our IrisesCubit linked on the blog. I encourage everyone to read it regularly. Lots of great info on there.

Terry has a bearded iris blog, and a siberian iris blog. Here's the main page. On the other channel, I just pointed out the article about 'Your Iris Garden,Plan it When the Irises are in Bloom'. I think it's a wonderful article, and something a lot of us could make use of.

http://historiciris.blogspot.com/

Susan Louise, I know what you mean. Last year I thought about getting rid of my bearded and just having Siberians too. It would be a whole lot less work for me, but then my tall bearded iris bloomed and I knew I could never get rid of them. :)

Hi Susan- I am no expert but as Polly said, those Siberians were planted in pots for the time being as my planting spot for them was not ready. Later in the summer I put them all inground. They were one gallon small pots.

The Siberians are not up yet here (it's too early) but I should have some pretty blooms this year and am really looking forward to it.

Its hard for me to think you couldn't find a spot for at least afew Sibs, once they establish they are so hardy and fuss free. Sometimes one just needs to look at the garden and think outside the box to get the space that one needs.

sibs need an eye on the soil in pots, they are apt to dry out so keep them watered.