New - this spring what and when feed fall '06 planted Iris

Good evening,

I planted 80+ varieties of Iris late summer and fall of 2006. I tilled the soil, amended with gypsum, mushroom compost, and Osmocote. Oh, I'm in zone 5 in Illinois.

Is there anything I should be doing this spring, besides pulling weeds? From reading the board postings, I do plan an applying Bayer Advanced Lawn Grub Control when the weather is consistently 50 degree highs.

I also read something about Super Phospate for Iris....but there was no explanation of why or what that is ?

Thanks for advice!

First, I recommend you apply the Bayer as soon as your irises break dormancy and begin active growth, regardless of ambient air temp. Water it in well immediately after application. You want to give the plants plenty of time to uptake the chemical through their root systems and distribute it through the plant tissues before temps get warm enough for borer eggs to hatch. It's better to apply it too early than even a moment too late. Bayer is very long lasting, so a single application in early spring will probably take care of your whole borer season.

Superphosphate is a source of phosphorous for plants. It promotes bloom and should be applied lightly to bearded irises about 6 weeks before bloom. If you're growing rebloomers, it can be reapplied lightly after spring bloom.

Laurie

I am determined to get my irises to do better this year. I just cleaned the whole bed and gave every clump a small handful of blood meal, a cup of bone meal and a couple of scoops of Black Kow. I am hoping that I have not overdone it with the nitrogen and that they will bloom well. I'd appreciate any advice on that.........