Irises are popular garden flowers. They are distinguished by an extraordinary variety of shapes, colors, sizes. In addition, some types of irises require almost no care after planting, for example, bearded iris. You just need to choose the right place for them and water moderately, since these plants do not like shading, and their rhizomes do not tolerate waterlogging. Therefore, the best place for a flower bed or a bed of bearded irises will be an open flat area with sandy loam or light loamy soil. If this site is located at a certain elevation, it is even better, because rainwater will definitely not accumulate there.
When irises are propagated, the old plant must be dug up and divided into planting units, that is, divisions, annual growths on the root, each of which has already formed its own root and leaf systems. Roots are shortened in delenoks, pruning them to a length of 15-20 centimeters. In dry, clear weather, it is recommended to dry them in the sun for greater resistance to diseases. Then the delenki should be planted in a pre-selected place.
When planting, do not forget that irises very poorly tolerate the deepening of the upper part of the rhizome, therefore, either sprinkle the upper part with earth a little (literally 1-2 centimeters), or, even better, leave it on the surface. Position the planting unit in the hole so that the leaf side is on the north side and the root part is on the south. With this planting, the upper part of the rhizome, where the flowering shoot will form, will be well lit. Avoid planting too close, leave a distance of about 50-60 centimeters between the divisions, as these flowers grow quickly. Irises can be propagated throughout the growing season, but most gardeners prefer to do this 2-3 weeks after flowering.
Water the irises abundantly immediately after planting, and then water only when buds are forming, during flowering (especially in dry hot weather) and about a month after flowering. Irises respond favorably to feeding. It is best to immediately apply fertilizers (rotted manure, ash) into the planting hole during planting and mix thoroughly with earth and humus. You can also feed the flowers 2-3 times during the growing season with complex fertilizers, which must include nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. It is also recommended to sprinkle ash on the bed with irises. It not only serves as a source of nutrients, but also protects plants well from decay.
