Irises planted up to the end of November will develop a good root structure prior to the Spring flowering season to both extract the moisture and nutrients from the soil but also act as guy ropes to support the weight of the stem and flowers.

So don’t delay looking around to see what is for sale this autumn. Unfortunately the choice will not be that great in many garden centres but we are lucky to have Spain’s largest collection of bearded irises and mail order supplier right here on our doorstep and they still have dry rhizomes for sale for autumn planting as well as a few potted but more expensive plants for personal collection. A search of the catalogue section of their website www.iris-lomer.com will immediately demonstrate the enormous range of varieties that have been breed by plant breeders and there is probably something for your garden whatever your colour scheme.

Irises have become one of the more popular bulbous plants for nine reasons.

1. They flower in the Spring.

2. They are perennials so flower for many years.

3. After a few years daughter rhizomes can be separated from the original parent plant in the autumn and planted to expand displays. At this time it is best to discard the original mother rhizome.

4. The tough skin of the Iris rhizome means that it is less susceptible to eel worm, slug and snail damage than the thinner skins of bulbs such as tulips especially during the dry summer months.

5. There are many varieties available so interesting collections can be built up.

6. They do best in full sun.

7. They can be grown in dedicated beds, mixed beds, in containers and on rockeries.

8. Irises need very little if any watering.

9. They have few disease problems.

When you receive your package of irises open the packet immediately and plant out as soon as possible in a reasonably rich soil. A soil enriched with well rotted compost or manure is preferable to feeding with manufactured nitrogen rich fertilisers. The latter can result in too much green growth and smaller flowers. Plant so that the top is just showing with the roots spread out and covered with firmed down soil. Water once a week to keep the roots damp for a month – or two if there is no rain -until the roots are established. Always remember that irises do not like to be waterlogged. In the Spring and early summer watch out for aphids if the weather is humid and spray for several weeks until the danger is past.

The height of the iris stem and size of flower means that the plant needs plenty of nutrients so feed your irises each year six weeks before you expect them to flower. Typically this will be March /April on the coast and April/May in higher up inland gardens. A second feed each October is beneficial. One thing that Christine Lomer emphasises is ‘please weed between irises and do not use weed killers as it can affect the quality – especially the colour – of the flowers.’ Finally if you invest in a few irises they are something that you can enjoy for the rest of your gardening days.

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Source: RoundTownNews.co.uk, Clodagh & Dick Handscombe