Fertilizer??

What is the right fertilizer balance for irises (N-P-K)??

Over and over again, the experts have always recommended a low nitrate (N or nitrogen) fertilizer due to high-N fertilizers encourage leaf growth which, in turn, encourages fungal and other diseases. 5-10-10 is commonly recommended but I have found 9-25-25 available in certain farm dealers. Nitrogen dissipates rather quickly in open air so I have used the liquid-soluble Miracle Gro in its dry form by just sprinkling a tbs around each plant and let the subsequent rain carry the nutrients into the ground. MG has a lot of micro nutrients not present in the common farm dry fertilizer. Best choice is MG Bloom Booster 15-30-15 or Tomato 18-18-21.

Thank you very much... this also helped with my decision not to inter plant iris and daylilies... is that a bad idea??

Irises should not be shaded by other plants. Otherwise, I have no clue.

Ok, it's a done deal then, separate planters for them :) THANKS!!!

I had my Iris planted in among my daylilies. When I first started growing Iris I thought it would be a good idea.... Iris in the spring and Daylilies in the summer. It worked for a year or 2 until the daylilies got big and started crowding out the Iris. Also, Daylilies need way more water than Iris and I finally dug the iris up and moved them last year because they had declined every year and were beginning to rot.

The water issue was my other thought... thanks for clarifying and reinforcing my thought process...

I just use rabbit poop in all my beds and everything seems to like it.

We use 5-10-10. Keep the nitrogen low or else you get leaves.

bluesmaven, love your all one color...
surely makes a statement
i pass a house where she uses all white... dogwoods, azaleas, and today IRISES - zillions of them

it's really not all one color they just bloomed first, theres a coral color, a pink bottom purple top, and an almost black. We didn't know what they would be when we planted them we salvaged them from an abandoned house where they weren't blooming.

I have 2 large mixed beds but it is true you need to space them far apart unless you want to be digging every yr. I think the different types of foliage add to the appeal of the beds. I haven't had any trouble with rotting.