#Planting iris full#

Horticulture program educators provide research-based information and training about gardening, fruits and vegetables, flowers, insects and diseases, composting, landscaping, and more.When growing Siberian iris ( Iris sibirica), gardens will burst with early season color and intricate, frilly flowers. Through our Agriculture and Natural Resources programs, Illinois Extension supports the economic viability and environmental sustainability of natural and managed landscapes and productive lands in Illinois. Illinois Extension provides practical education you can trust to help people, businesses, and communities solve problems, develop skills, and build a better future. University of Illinois Extension is the flagship outreach effort of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, offering educational programs to residents of all of Illinois' 102 counties and far beyond. Learn more about various species and cultivars of iris by visiting the Plant Finder from Missouri Botanical Garden. Since iris have a short bloom period, consider adding iris in the middle of a perennial garden where later blooming plants can hide the iris foliage. Space rhizomes 12 to 18 inches apart to avoid overcrowding and allow for good air circulation to help prevent disease issues. Place the rhizome on a ridge of soil, placing the roots in the soil, but the rhizome just above soil level. About four to six weeks after they flower, divide by digging up the whole clump and remove the mother plant. Most iris clumps become crowded and should be divided every three to four years. They can infest all types of iris. One may learn more about borers at University of Minnesota Extension. Iris borers are destructive and difficult to control. Proper sanitation is important, remove and discard infected rhizomes and plant parts. Iris soft rot often enters wounds caused by iris borers. This bacterium needs a wound to enter a plant. Upon closer inspection, I found that the rhizomes had turned to mush from bacterial soft rot. Imagine my disappointment last year when I noticed several of my iris plants looking rather frail. They will not tolerate poorly drained soil.īearded iris do have a few problems including iris borer, bacterial infections including bacterial soft rot and fungal infections of the rhizomes, leaf spots.

#Planting iris full#

They grow best in well-drained soil in a full sun location. Bearded iris also vary in bloom time and flower color. The most common variety is bearded iris. This easy-to-grow iris range in height from 18 to 36 inches. Be sure to remove old blooms after flowering. The three inner upward true petals of iris are called “standards.” The three outer turned down flower petals are referred to as “falls.” Many cultivars have different colored standards and falls. Iris range in height from 6-inch-tall dwarf crested iris to 5-feet-tall yellow flag iris.įlower color: The six-petaled flowers come in a rainbow of colors include pink, varying shades of purple, pale yellow, bright yellow, peach, pale green, light blue, white, tan, bronze, almost black, and bi-color. Many types are long-lived perennials in Central Illinois. Iris are divided into three categories, according to The American Iris Society: bearded, beardless, and aril. Fishburn offers these tips for successfully growing iris. 'I have about 20 cultivars of bearded iris in my garden including a small white and lavender variety that has been passed down in my family for four generations,' says Jennifer Fishburn, University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator. In the past 50 years, thousands of cultivars in various colors, sizes, and forms have been developed. There aren’t very many plants that come in a wider range of color than iris.