fertilize now?

I asked this question in another thread but got no response. Should established irises be fertilized now like tulips and daffodils? I divided some and realize they shouldn't be fertilized (except I added some comosted manure to the soil and mixed) but what about the ones that weren't divided nor transplanted?

I don't know anything about your climate in zone 7a, but in a cold-winter zone you shouldn't feed irises this late in the season (esp. not with anything providing nitrogen). Fertilization (esp. with nitrogen) would promote rapid, tender growth that may be easily damaged by frost.

You should contact your county extension agent or other iris growers in your area for fertilization recommendations specific to your climate.

Laurie

I wouldn't fertilize now. Even though we have mild winters lately, at least here in TN, they are cold and damp and you might encourage the rhizomes to rot. Wait until signs of new growth in the Spring.

Neil

I'm not too far from you and I dont fertilize this time of year.. I would wait until very early spring :)

Ok, since my climate is closest to Charlotteda, I will refrain. However, Charlotteda shows zone 7a and I am cooler than her. I used to list my area as zone 6b but it is warmer here now. Still, I may be 2000 feet higher. a hard call.

Now didn't Wanda just say she fertilizes in the fall or October (I don't recall which specifically she said), with a 10-10-10?

Wanda, where are you?

I know she's in Z5 also, and hers sure are great.

I do Oct and March
we all do in Tulsa area

If they are La's I would have to agree with Tazzy at about Oct 15th but Feb, here, for spring.

I use 8-8-8 for La's--most of the southern hybridizers do.

This message was edited Sep 25, 2006 9:22 PM

I would defer to Tazzy who is one of the iris gurus in my opinion but since we start to have freezes by late Oct....

Does it fly in the face of convention to fertilize "anything" close to your time of freezing weather ? Or does that not apply to iris ?

yes, I am concerned about encouraging new growth that will be very tender when frost hits here. However, some of my irises are already showing new growth.

I have a friend who has ferltilizer mixed at the local farm store. She uses 0-10-10. She puts a little on the sides of each iris in the fall. She also puts it on her lilly bulbs. I plan on doing the same.

yes ,
very low nitrogen or 0 nitrogen fertlizer

I think I will add bone meal

I use alfalfa meal, how often can I apply it to my irises?

woodspirit1,

If you have dogs or carniverous wildlife in your area, you might consider using superphosphate instead of bone meal. Bone meal can tempt carnivores to dig in your garden in search of the bone meal scent.

weegy12,

I doubt if you can overdo alfalfa meal, but you probably don't want to apply it right before a dormant period (if your irises ever experience dormancy in your climate). Also, alfalfa should be incorporated into the soil rather than used as a topdressing. I have read that it can promote horrible leaf spot if topdressed.

Laurie

Good to know Laurie, I do just throw it down and don't get it into the soil.
My irises are never dormant it seems! Thanks so much for answering my question.

If they are La's I would not apply bone meal under any circumstances.

I don't have trouble with many animals but this year have had some terrible vole problems. They have eaten 3 rose bushes off just below the soil line. I hate putting out poison in the their holes like I'm been told to do because I'm afraid the squirrels and chipmunks will get it.

Sorry for my silence. This is the time of year when my business gets very demanding. I've also been working hard to help my friend Jackie (MY Savannah Perennial Gardens) get the rest of her 700 daylilies into the ground and mapped. We still have a hundred hosta to pot up and move into cover before the snow flies. My garden takes little care right now as I wait for all my lilies 7 spring bulbs to arrive.

I fertilize lightly in mid October with a general food for my entire flower bed, then cover with mulch. It's pretty cool here by then and does not encourage new green growth, but I seem to get healthier early growth in the spring.

Cooley's Gardens sells a fall iris fertilizer (which I just bought) with zero nitrogen. They don't say when their notion of "fall" ends. I've been putting some on over the last few weeks, I guess we'll see come spring--got their spring iris fertilizer, too.

I've been surprised by the new growth on some rhizomes. Thought they were near gone, but now little leaves are coming through. Is this normal?

Yes. I always have new little leaves on my iris as the fall rains come in. They generally freeze during the winter, but the green is feeding that rhizome & roots for your spring blooms.

What ph do irises prefer? When do you say iris and when do you say irises? LOL. I use a lot of bone meal because my soil is low in phosphorus.

Bearded irises do fine in a fairly wide range of soil pH, from moderately acidic to moderately alkaline, and they respond well to being limed. Beardless irises (exclusive of Spuria irises) prefer acidic soil and HATE lime. Spuria irises prefer alkaline soil.

Iris is singular; irises is plural.

I'm not sure I know what spuria irises are.

Spuria is one type of beardless iris. You can read all about them here:

http://www.spuriairis.com/

Some of the biggest rhizomes that I planted a month ago have baby fans poking out of the soil beside them. And most of the ones I planted showed some new growth, either new leaves or the older leaves have grown. I'm assuming that means that they've transplanted well, that they're healthy, and that they'll grow well next spring.

you have signs of healthy plant ,
that is doing well after your re _planting .

Velvet Underground

Rich and lovely...

OH, WOW, Tazzie! That is just gorgeous.

Tazzy, hope the house closing is doing well so you can spend next year enjoying your new yard.

The 8 th of Nov . is last word .
I want it over with . stress is killing Dan.
two house payments and two insurance payments do not make me healthy wealthy and wise.we got our hot rods to keep us sane ?
ROFL

Tazzy, that picture is priceless. I love it.

Is that Okie style???

yup we travel high fluting , here abouts.

we are all ready to close on house .
they lost the abstract is this not the last straw
either currier ate it or took it to wrong lawyer . he is looking very hard for it because it will cost him $900.00 to replace it and me a great big hissy fit.

$900 is cheap to replace an abstract. But, go on and have your hissy fit--you deserve one! :) You're gonna make it yet.

Hey Tazzy! Who are those travelers? I like their style, especially the blanket as I start to move into "shawl mode" for the season.

The iris Wanda sent me last summer have all got green leaves, from 1" to about 10"
:-)

don't know who they are but they sure are
boogieing down the road

4paws--glad to know your iris are alive & kicking!

Yepperee, Wanda! I haven't killed them yet! I'm thrilled!