How To Plant Rock Garden Iris

How to Plant Rock Garden Iris

Plant the bulbs in groups of ten or more, and about an inch or so apart. If you plant them singularly, they are easily overlooked.
Be sure to set the bulbs relatively deep, with 3 or 4 inches of soil over the top.

How should IRIS be planted?
How many iris bulbs can you plant together?
How do you plant small irises?
Should I soak iris bulbs before planting?
Do irises like sun or shade?
Should I deadhead irises?
What time of year do you split irises?
Can you plant irises in the spring?
What should I plant in front of my iris?
When can you split mini irises?
Do irises spread?

How should IRIS be planted?

How to Plant Irises

For bare-root irises, plant the rhizome horizontally with the top exposed. ...
Plant rhizomes singly or in groups of three, 1 to 2 feet apart, depending on the size.
Dig a shallow hole 10 inches in diameter and 4 inches deep. ...
Do not mulch around the rhizome as this practice may encourage rot.

How many iris bulbs can you plant together?

When replanting a particular Iris that I have divided I like to plant three rhizomes together. That gives me a spectacular mass of blooms in Spring. Plant them with the pointy nose of the rhizomes facing each other in a circle.

How do you plant small irises?

Usually the rule of thumb when planting bulbs is that bulbs need at least 2 times their height of soil above them. Dig a 2 to 3 inch deep hole, drop the bulb into it (remember, spike points up!) and cover with soil. Regarding spacing between bulbs, if planting in beds, leave approx 4 inches between each bulb.

Should I soak iris bulbs before planting?

Soak rhizomes for 10 minutes, rinse well, and lay out to dry. It's OK to wait days or even weeks before planting, but sooner is better. As long as the iris is in a sunny spot where its rhizome can stay dry, all will be well.

Do irises like sun or shade?

Siberian irises grow well in cool, wet conditions and, though they thrive in full sun, they can also tolerate some shade. Plant about 1 inch deep in full sun to part shade.

Should I deadhead irises?

Deadheading, or removing the old flowers, keeps the plants attractive and allows the leaves to collect energy for healthy root formation instead of setting seeds. Some irises may bloom twice a year if you deadhead properly. Break off the individual flowers on each flowering stem after they finish blooming.

What time of year do you split irises?

When bloom production slows, about every three to five years, it is necessary to divide by removing and replanting the small rhizomes. Divide at the right time of year, after flowering, when irises become dormant during late summer, reducing the chance of bacterial soft rot.

Can you plant irises in the spring?

A quick guide to growing all the Irises: The big Bearded Irises you plant in late summer, the bulb Iris you plant in fall, and Siberian, Japanese and Louisianas you plant in spring. They're all great, all easy to grow.

What should I plant in front of my iris?

For a spring garden full of blooms, use these companion plants for iris: Columbine. Daffodil. Tulips.
...
Some other iris companion plants that will quickly fill in as blooms fade are:

Salvia.
Coral bells.
Poppy.
Daylilies.
Black eyed susan.
Daisy.
Cranesbill.
Foxglove.

When can you split mini irises?

Divide irises during the summer dormancy period into early fall, at least 6 weeks after the last blooms have faded. This gives the newly formed rhizomes time to become established. Irises should be divided every 3 to 4 years or when the middle of the clumps look bald.

Do irises spread?

Bearded Irises Grow from Rhizomes

Such plants also spread by rhizomes, and irises are no exception. While some rhizomatous plants, like bamboo, spread rapidly and even invasively, the iris spreads fairly gradually—one of its main virtues for gardeners. But, as iris rhizomes spread, they become crowded.