End of season advice.

Hi Guys,
I am looking for advice on what I need to do, if anything, when it's time to put my beds to sleep. I have started to add a lot of iris this year and last year. Do I fertilize this fall or wait until spring? Do I cut (trim) them or just leave them be?

Anything else I need to know or do? Thank you so much for your help and advice!
Sherry

Washington DC or the state of Weshington.?? In either place, NEVER FERTILIZE NOW. You do NOT want them to grow soft growth now that will be/may be killed off by colder weather.

Fertilize in spring. Under no circumstances allow manure to touch your rhizomes. I use alfalfa and then water with alfalfa/manure/compost tea when watering. Sometimes with a bit of epsom salts added. DEpending on your first frost date, clean up your iris beds in fall.. Make sure you do not compost anything that you tidy up. Put in the garbage. Before first date (hard frost date) I do cut back my bearded iris somewhat. I don't do it too much as I like them to catch the snow for snow cover. Keeps the wind off them. If you are going to divide anything, now is the time. If you are going to divide bearded, let us know as there are a slew of things to do when dividing.

Siberians I leave for the winter and then take a propane torch to them early in the spring before growth starts.

Do some googling. Go to the American iris Society website or the Canadian irs society website. Lots of info available.
inanda

Cooley's Gardens sells a twin set of iris fertilizers: one formulation for spring, and one for fall. They've worked very well for me.

I would imagine the fall fertilizer is very low, or no, nitrogen (the first number). That would promote root growth and not top growth. I would think this would be a good addition. I would still want to put it on as early as possible.

What are the reading s forthe fall fertilizer? Hmm.... I've never done this. You learn something new every day.
inanda aka Ginny

I hate reading these forums and learning I've been doing things wrong. Maybe the bearded irises just love my sandy extremely well drained soil. I pretty much ignore them, except to rip out some of the excess every 2-3 years (to give away - at the wrong time of year, even - we have a garden exchange in June)

This is the iris I'm talking about. It was in the garden when I moved into the house, so I don't know its name. I was walking by a patch of them one sunny day about two years ago and realized that they are very fragrant as well!

amazar, looks like you are growing a nice historic bearded iris. I see them blooming & thriving around abandoned farm houses in Iowa. Tough & need little to keep them happy.
The modern ruffled bearded iris can be a different story.

Beautiful iris. Wonder what it's called?

are you thinking bright hour wandasflowers? I think i have bright hour but now im not quite sure. i can't remember if mine had the white on top or the purple.

Hi Amazar,
The pic of your iris is one that I have also (I'm sure it's the same) and have not been able to find the name yet, only to understand that it is more than likely a historic one. It is so fragrant and a strong grower. An older friend of mine gave me some like 25 years ago. I've given so many rhizomes away and it keeps producing. Make a beautiful bouquet. Enjoy,
Laura

Here's a good website for looking at pictures of historics. It looks pretty distinctive, maybe you can find the name. Certainly is a lovely one.

http://community.webshots.com/user/rickt103

This message was edited Oct 10, 2007 8:59 AM

It's hard to identify historics--few old pictures are in color.

Our Historic Iris Preservation Society is looking to keep and increase the tough old beauties. Lots of pictures here---

Try this HIPS website-- http://www.hips-roots.com/photos/1pics-topframe.html

Having looked through these sites, I suspect this is Lent A. Williamson. I'll have to wait until it blooms again in spring to get better comparison, though.

Lent A Williamson does not have the distinctive rim color that your iris has around the falls. Keep looking! Argyle Acres is another reliable source for historics. they have some great closeups of blooms here:

http://www.argyleacres.com/gallery/view_list_historic.asp?historic_z=yes