Iris

Iris
Iris My compliments
Irises are wonderful garden plants. As the word Iris means rainbow, irises come in so many colors: blues and purples, whites and yellows, pinks and oranges, browns and reds, and even blacks. The genus Iris has about 200 species and is native of North Temperate regions of the world.
The habitat of iris also varies a lot. Some irises grow in deserts, some in swamps, some in the cold far north, and many in temperate climates. Bearded Iris and Siberian Iris are the two most common types of iris grown.

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Facts about Iris :
· Irises come in many forms, shapes, colors and sizes and the sword-like foliage is attractive when the plant is not in bloom.
· Iris are among the best-known and loved among garden plants. Iris are hardy herbaceous perennials.
· The genus Iris is a large genus of bulbous and rhizomatous perennials.
· The Iris was named after the Goddess of the rainbow because of it's many colours.
· A flower on the Sphinx is considered to be an Iris, and another appears on a bas-relief of the time of the 18th Egyptian dynasty.
· Pliny also knew the Iris and praised its medicinal virtues.
· The Iris was also a favourite flower of the Moslems, who took it to Spain after their conquest in the 8th century.

Growing Iris :
Before planting iris, improve the soil conditions, use a slow release fertilizer. To increase the organic matter content use compost, peat moss or well rotted manure. Fertilizer and organic matter should be worked thoroughly into the top 4 to 6 inches of soil.

· Wooded areas with good drainage and partial shade are ideal spots for the crested iris.
· Irises are grown from both seed and root separation.
· The roots, or Rhizomes, are easily separated and replanted.
· The Rhizome looks like a long, thin potato with roots underneath.
· When transplanting, separate the Rhizome. Make sure to have some root and a leaf or two in each section.
· Plant the Rhizomes near the surface with the roots below.
· Divide the clumps and plant single rhizomes, spacing them 8 to 18 inches apart according to effect desired.
· Spade planting hole about 10 inches deep and work 1 tablespoonful of fertilizer into the soil in the bottom of the hole.
· If the soil is heavy, some drainage material such as gravel or broken pottery should be placed in the hole.
· Fill the hole with the loose soil and place the root section so that it will not be covered more than 1 inch deep.
· Most Beardless Irises can also be propagated from seeds.

Iris Plant Care :

· Apply a thin layer of compost around the base of plants each spring, leaving the rhizome exposed.
· As flowers fade, cut back the flower stalks to the base of the plant.
· To encourage a second bloom on reblooming varieties, promptly remove faded flowers and maintain consistent watering throughout the summer.
· In autumn, trim away dead foliage and prune back healthy leaves to a height of 4 to 5 inches.
· Once the soil has frozen, apply a layer of mulch to help prevent roots from heaving out of the soil during alternate freezing and thawing.
· If heaving occurs, don't try to force plants back into the soil. Instead, cover rhizomes and exposed roots with soil.
· Divide bearded iris every 4 to 5 years, preferably in late summer. Each division should have one or two leaf fans. Older rhizomes that have few white feeding roots should be discarded.