Bearded Iris not blooming.

Why would this be....? they get 4-5 hours direct sunlight and this is the second year that they do not bloom. Any ideas?

Hi Bleek,
How close together are they planted and how deep? Do you mulch them? How much water do they get when it is blooming season? How old and how big are they and how long have they been there? Sorry about all the questions, but it might help answer yours. :)
Michele

bleek, when was the last time they were divided? Is this a new planting?? As Michele said, more info will help! John

They were transplanted 2 years ago. They do get some 10-10-10 fertilizer in the Spring and in the Fall. The roots are barely covered and have no mulch. They get water when it rains, no extra, but it has not been dry.

Okay, this might be a stupid question, but do they all have nice big healthy foliage, and big firm healthy rhizomes? I have recieved some before that have smaller rhizomes and they did take a couple of years to bloom. I have also seen a few posts about the large amounts of rain turning them to mush, and others about iris borers.

They are nice and big and healthy.....no yellowing of the leaves or any rot....drainage is very good....they are planted on a kind of a mound.

Have you thought of using a specific bulb food? I don't fertilize mine with the same thing I use for other plants, but use something called "Holland Bulb Food", every other year or when I move them. When I have missed, the blooms have been smaller and fewer.

Hi, for bearded iris, the rhizomes should have a large portion uncovered, the roots go down from them, but if the rhizome is totally covered, even very shallow-it will not bloom. I have run into that, when the rains wash down on my beds and deposit a thin layer of soil and I do not check it. Happened last year and no RootBeer iris!

Bleek, when I moved a huge bed of Iris, it took 2 yrs for them to bloom. I was threatening them with mowing, whenlo and behold a week later came the fullest most beautiful blooms you ever saw. Do be sure that the heel is up and out of the ground a little, and that the sun is at it's back.

"eyes"

Bleek, irises need to be fertilized with minimun nitrogen in their diet. 10 's not bad for spring, but for fall, it's a bit much. Cooley's Gardens make a WONDERFUL fertilizer combo pack specifically designed for both seasons. Irises are my favorites of all the pretties. I think God was showing off when He made them =D

How cold does it get in Lawrenceville GA? Iris need a chilling period in the winter to bloom in the spring. Did you have a late freeze this spring. We had a hard freeze in March that damaged developing buds and I didn't get as many blooms as I usually do. In the south, it's acceptable to cover the rhizomes with a thin layer of soil to prevent sunburn in the summer. It needs to be removed for the winter. I've even planted some rhizomes completely covered and they bloomed the best of any I had.

is a max of 5 hours direct sunshine enough? I know they like to have their rhizomes baked in sunlight for most of the day.

Mark, mine are planted in a huge bed, under a tree, against a 6 ft. privacy fence. They get sunlight from different angles all around the bed all day long. I would say they get at least 4 to 5 hours intermittantly all day lone, and they do superbly. Am taking a picture of them to roundup!!

"eyes"

I live in Los Alamos, NM. Altitude: 7600', very dry. I inherited some beautiful bearded iris from a friend 3 years ago. The first year they bloomed huge and beautifully. Last year and this year - nothing. The rhyzomes are covered but I don't think they need dividing. Could this be the problem - they get more than 4-5 hours sun each day but only direct in the morning. luan

Try Lifting the heel up to just about ground level, and let me ask this.....do you trim them back in the fall? This is necessary for some of the more established Irises in the garden to continue to bloom.

"eyes"

Yes I have trimmed them back to about 6 inches each fall. For the life of me I can't figure out why they aren't blooming. One post I noticed said they don't like a high nitrogen fertilizer but my friend always put a lot of sterile manure and they did great. Last year I didn't put any on and I thought that might be why no blooms. However, this year I put a bunch and still no blooms.

Four to five hours a day of direct sun is not enough. Iris like a full day of full sun, or at least eight hours of full sun. Try moving them to a spot where they get more sunlight, and I bet they will bloom.

Some years though, iris just get tempermental about blooming.

I've a batch of Bearded Iris that bloomed already but whose outside leaves are now turning yellow. I'm afraid maybe all the rain is beginning to rot them??? Would that be a possible cause for the yellowing of the leaves without enough sun to boot cuz of our extended spring rain into June? Not much bright sun; just the sun that might come through the clouds. Another group is doing just fine.

just read this and funny as this may sound when my iris are not doing anything i dig them up strip down the ucky leaves and toss them in the general area I want them to
grow. They winter on the ground like that, yes out of the ground on top of the soil. You should see them that next year. Beautiful! Tami

Thanks for the tip, Tami!

I did not trim mine in the fall. Do you think it will make a difference?

I don't know if it makes a difference as I trim mine sometimes in the fall. If I forget, the new growth appears and grows out of the dead foliage. Then it is a real hassle to clean up the leaves that died back in the fall.

Ok, I ask b/c I did not get one bloom other than the siberians last summer. I moved the iris to a sunnier spot, and shallow. Well, heres to hoping they do something this year!

Good luck, Sue! I hope they don't spend the new year getting adjusted to their new spot and don't bloom again. Mine get full morning sun and then shade the rest of the day. They really thrive where I put them by chance. If you're in need of some, I can always divide as they do so well!

I remove yellowing or spotted leaves in the summer but don't actually trim until spring. The extra foliage helps snow to mound around the plants and give them some cover in out freeze/thaw winters. Regular mulch can hold too much moisture over the winter & rot them here in Iowa. I go out mid April (last snow is usually by the 12) and uncover the iris, daylilies, peonies and most perennials. I leave the blanket flowers, lambs Ears & mums covered. I trim everything then. It gives me a chance to think about what I'm going to move come May.