Need help with my new Iris ensata...

I bought 3 Iris ensata.
I just received them today.
What do I do with them?
I know I plant them.heehee
Acid soil what ph?
How much water?
How will I over winter them?
I'm zone 6a/5b.
Do I plant them in pots?
Make a pond like setting?I don't have the money for a pond.I do have an extra plastic kiddie pool.I could turn into a temp water garden.Are these bog plants or Gee wizz I need your expertise.
I've been wanting these for soooo long,finally broke down and ordered a mixed lot of 3 for 8.97 off of e-bay.To my surprise he has them marked with their names.They were cheap but look very healthy.I looked in plantfiles and not enough info.I would appreciate your help or send me to someone willing to put up with my dumb questions for a few days and maybe later on if I run into some kind of trouble.Or even a good ensata thread.Or even a good site.Thank so much,Jody

Jody, I am no expert but maybe I can help. This link will take you to Ensata Garden's page concerning cultural requirements of Japanese Iris.

http://www.ensata.com/HTML/GeneralPages/culture.htm

They are beautiful irises and yes you have probably officially started your JI addiction. Hope this has the information you need.

Thanks shadowgirl,
I'll take a look see.
Jody

Oh my, Jody! That's a lot of questions! lol I have had some Japanese iris for about 8 years now and those things just go and go. They don't seem to be too temperamental for me, but then I am in zone 8 and we get A LOT of rain. I have mine against my house and some against my fence. They get about half day of sun and they aren't planted very deep.....just barely covered with soil. I try to keep them very moist in the summer cuz that's when we actually dry out a little here. Other than that, I don't do anything special to them.....but I'm no expert either. lol

Good luck with them....I hope they do well for you!

Mendy

Thanks Mendy-you make them sound so easy.I hope so I'd like to get more I think they are so pretty.How long do they bloom?Thanks,Jody

Well, mine have been very easy for me. I hope yours are for you. My first bloom this year was on May 7th and I think they are just about done now. Quite a long time now that I think about it! ;-)

That Ensata.com site could potentially be very dangerous for me! lol I made a VERY long list of the ones I would like to order from them. Wish I had the money and the space to plant them.

Mendy

I know Mendy, Ensata has some real pretty ones. My lists just keep right on growing with plants I want for the garden. lol
My irises did not do as well as I would have like this year. But this is a new place for us and they should be better established next year.

shadowgirl--thanks for posting the Ensata gardens culture information. very informative and gives me hope that I can get mine to grow, too. They say they use the same culture for JIs and Siberians, so I'm hoping they will thrive in my garden with the sibs...

Jody, I'm just starting out with JI too, planted five or six last year and ordered several more for delivery late this summer...

mgh--it's interesting to know how long your JI bloom season was this year...that's a good long time to have something as beautiful as JI's blooming. Do you know what your earliest and your latest varieties were?

thanks for posting all the info. t.

I mulch mine with cheap steer manure and that is because a grower told me it helps and boy did it doubled in size in one year. Reason keeps moiture in and weeds out. Super nice
There is another great place to buy JI in Oregon and they are super generous and nice selection
Gail Austin Gardens
http://thegardensite.com/irises/austinperennials/
Denise

Tabasco, well, I only have one variety and it came with my house when we bought it so I don't know it's name. I have attached a pic for you. It is a very long time to have blooms...I was very surprised to go back and look at the date of when I took my first pic of it this year.

Denise, that looks like a wonderful place! I would love to go there with you sometime.

Mendy

Mendy,
Very pretty JI
I have the space,43 acres.I just don't have the money :(
I'll add more if these do okay.
Denise,
I wonder if horse manure is okay.I have lots of it and it's free.lol.
Jody

Thanks, Jody. Wow, 43 acres? Only in my dreams! I would love to have that kind of property!


I'm not an expert on manure, but I would think it would be fine as long as it's aged and not fresh......at least I think that's what they say.

boy, that's a long bloomer and a pretty one. thanks. I'll have to research the pic and see if I can ID it. Any ideas, anyone?

T, when I went out this morning, I saw that it has another bud on it. Can you believe it?! The more water I give it, the more it blooms and blooms.

I have seen pics of ones that I thought it could be.....Gusto, Reign of Glory, Time and Tide.....several others, but I can't remember them all.

Mom got an inheritance,I begged,it worked.
I only have a mobile home,but wouldn't trade this place for a Million dollar Mansion in the City.
I'll try the rotted/old manure,I'll start lightly first.:)
I hope to grow and bred daylilies and propagate roses for a living.
Now if I can pull that off,I'll be in heaven on earth.
Jody

JodyC~

My local iris farm, Aitken's Salmon Creek Garden, swears by horse manure...and their JI's grow really nicely. They do let it age a while, though.

They put it out in small to medium piles and let it bake in the sun. They keep turning every 3 or 4 days until it's ready. Of course, they do this AWAY from the main garden and house! P.U.! :0]

This message was edited Jun 26, 2005 2:34 PM

flowerfrenzy-thanks for the info.
My horses are out on pasture right out the front door about 70' from the house.It's spread out over several acres and doesn't smell at least not to me.I've been shoveling it since I was old enough to lift a pitch fork and shovel :)
It's when to many animals are in to small an area that it smells.
Jody