Newbie

I'm new to irises and have ordered some (14) in a coop. What do they look good mixed in with? Any special planting instructions?

Gwen

Gwen, welcome! I like nasturciums and herbacious clematis myself. Neither of them will crowd the iris and while the clematis may need more water at first, it doesn't have to be planted among the iris.

Here are some instructions for planting.

http://www.schreinersgardens.com/iris_culture.shtml#grow

Thanks for that. I'd seen it before but then couldn't 're-find' it!

So if they arrive before July - and I'm assuming they will - I shouldn't plant them til July? And then they won't bloom until 2007? Are they spring blooming or summer? I guess I thought they were summer blooming.

Gwen

Hi Gwen. Your medians (IB, SDB, MDB) will arrive in late July or the first part of August. Your TBs will arrive mid to late August. Everything should be planted as soon as it arrives. If you have to wait for a few days, make sure to take everything out of the box and lay the rhizomes out somewhere out of the elements. A garage or cellar works nicely. Inside the house is fine too. Just make sure they're not baking in the sun. It's okay if they get a bit dry. You can expect new leaves in about 4-6 weeks.

Flowerfrenzy,

So they won't bloom this year? What part of next year will they bloom - spring or summer - or will they all bloom at different times?

Laughing at the 'baking in the sun' mention as I don't believe that's possible here!

Doss, the herbacious clematis, is that climbing?

Gwen

Gwen~

No, they won't bloom this year but don't worry, they'll be worth the wait!!! You will receive a rhizome with a "fan" of leaves coming from it that have been cut down to about 6 inches. You'll plant the rhizome into the ground according to the planting instructions you will receive with your order.

The MDB/SDB bloom first, followed by the IB and then the TB. In Vancouver, WA my SDBs and MDBs start blooming mid to late April, just as the daffodils are finishing up. The IBs usually overlap them by about a week and continue on until mid May. The TBs start mid May and finish up about the first week of June. Of course your bloom may be a bit earlier or later, depending on your garden's climate.

You can expect that a lot of the iris will bloom next Spring, but not all of them will. Don't worry about it, though, because the ones that don't bloom next Spring will bloom the following Spring. You chose a nice variety of SDBs, IBs and TBs so you're going to have a nice, long iris season! :0)

Hope I've helped!

Laura

Thanks for the clarifications. I've made a list of what I ordered and am making notes about blooming times, heights, where I'm going to put them, etc., so I'm ready to roll when they get here.

I can be very patient when it comes to the garden (less so with other things). People will look at our yard and say, "Why don't you ...." and I'll answer, "Oh, yes, I'm planning to do that. I have that down for 2009" or whatever year. LOL

Gwen

Well, your patience will definitely be rewarded! For me, irises are the most satisfying thing I grow...and I grow a lot of things! :0)

Lauraa

The ones I'm most curious about are the daylilies. I've just fallen in love with all the colors they come in. I'm tearing out an overgrown herb garden to make into daylilies.

The irises will look stunning as they really fit into the areas I'm planning to put them - very English cottage looking (orig owners of the house were from England - since that's my favorite garden 'look,' I can't believe how lucky we got!).

Gwen

Gwen, the most important things to remember about bearded irises are to NOT plant them too deeply and to NOT overwater.

Bearded irises should be planted so the tops of the rhizomes are level with or slightly (no more than 1/2") below the soil surface. If they are planted too deeply, they will grow foliage but may refuse to flower.

Bearded irises are prone to rot if overwatered. That is why excellent drainage and/or a raised bed are recommended for them. Water deeply immediately after planting and perhaps again a week later if there is no rainfall. Then leave the watering up to Ma Nature. Bearded irises are very drought tolerant. It's best to keep them on the dry side and use companion plants that don't require supplemental watering.

Laurie

P.S. Laura, did Gwen order any rebloomers? If so, it's possible she may get some late season rebloom in addition to spring bloom.

I think I may have a rebloomer or two in there. I tried to look for that when I was choosing but mostly just went on color and looks.

I'm concerned as I have gotten some plants now that don't want to be watered and was going to mix them in with things that want water! I just planted my dahlia tubers, which say don't water for 3-5 weeks when they come thru the ground, in an area that will be seeded with annuals and thus need watering. And I was going to up the irises in with roses and other things that I usually water. I do have great drainage, tho.

Back to the drawing board.

Gwen

Gwen, I mix irises in all my beds and water everyday all through the summer and have no problems with them at all. I don't think you will have to worry about it.

Mine are set on a sprinkler system and get watered every day during the summer as well. I don't have any problems because I have good drainage.

Laurie, don't forget to tell her about the iris borers.

We don't have iris borers (thank heaven!) in the Pacific Northwest.

You are so lucky! The only ones they don't bother much are the old timers that aren't hybrids.

This message was edited Apr 27, 2006 10:12 PM

Those things scare me! It's enough to make me stay in the PNW for life! :0)

I'm sorry you have such a battle with them. Laurief is a great resource for information on borer control. I know next to nothing~only what I've read about them.

Laura

billyporter, there's a reason they call it "Iris Heaven" on the West Coast. Among their many gardening advantages, the absence of borers ranks high on the list. Borers are a problem primarily in the Midwest and throughout the East Coast. I'm not certain how far south they extend through those regions, but I believe they survive as far south as TN and NC.

Borers also aren't terribly interested in MDBs and SDBs. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a borer in either of those smallest bearded classes. They haven't bothered my beardless irises, either, though I have read that they will attack beardless. It just hasn't happened in my garden yet (knocking frantically on wood).

Laurie

Laura, I like catapillars but can't hardly stand to touch a borer. They are all sickly pink and icky. I love iris, but they are high maintainance. I've kind of switched to daylilies till I get things under control. I have all my poisons. Hate to resort to them, but you have to do what you have to do! Last year, because of quackgrass, I had to move almost all my iris. I separated, cleaned and reset. I'm good to go.

I planted daylilies and torch lilies among my iris for the continuation of color through the summer. I was new at how to do iris and had them heavily mulched and the whole nine yards. If there was anything wrong that could be done for iris, I did it. I have not lost a single plant, and the irises get watered along with everything else. I don't cover the rhizomes anymore with mulch, though.

My irises put on such a show every year and all those first ones are unnamed--given to me, here when we moved in, etc. Now because of DG I have names for them and that makes you a real addict. It's one of the symptoms. :^)

Good luck with your plants. I'm sure you will do fine.

Diane

I pester for names when someone gives me something. It's frustrating when they don't know. I love iris, but they don't last very long. I'm smelling them now and writing down if they have a fragrance.

I never tried checking for scent until I read it on here.

The Padilla smell like purple koolaid, my Mom's old old ones are sweet, either Son of Star or Supersimmon smells like licorice.

I believe you will find that scent varies not only from iris to iris, but from nose to nose. I have an arilbred that smells very strongly of cinnamon to my nose, but the same flower smells like dog doo to my housemate's nose.

Air temperature, humidity, and location all affect aroma, as well. Iris fragrance will be strongest on a warm, sunny day. Scent may all but disappear in a damp chill. Also, an iris that smells delightful in the garden can sometimes express itself unpleasantly when cut and brought indoors.

Fragrance, like everything else, is subject to individual interpretation.

Laurie

How true. Laurie, I see now why you are an expert on Iris. Your place must be amazing when they start to bloom!