Harvesting Iris Bulbs

After the bulbs have dried out they ll need to cure before you can store them.

Harvesting iris bulbs. Iris range in height from 6 inch tall dwarf crested iris to 5 feet tall yellow flag iris. The tall beautiful iris named after the greek goddess who rode rainbows comes in many magical colors despite its divine origins this june bloomer is rugged reliable and easy to grow. As long as you have a well drained soil and a sunny position you can grow these easy to maintain plants in your garden. Unlike high maintenance garden plants iris leaves don t require pruning or trimming for good growth.

This foliage is very important as it is what is gathering the sunlight that the bulbs need to make the carbohydrate storage that the flowers will need during bloom season. Bearded beardless and aril. When to plant iris bulbs. In fact leaving the leaves undisturbed even after the growing season allows the iris to gain more nutrients from photosynthesis for next year s growth.

This kind of iris gets its name from a patch of soft bristles on the lower petals of the flowers. To get the bulbs adjusted to being outside of the ground let them sit in an area that is around 70 21 with good ventilation. This will ensure they have another bountiful growing season. Keeping the bulbs away from sunlight will prevent excessive drying which will cause the bulbs to die when replanted.

They may be bearded with three upright petals. Fishburn offers these tips for successfully growing iris. From blues apricots yellows whites to purples and even black there is a border iris to cover everyones taste in colour. Iris plant care consists mainly of dividing the iris plants to assure continued blooms.

Iris are divided into three categories according to the american iris society. Many types are long lived perennials in central illinois. Almost all bulbs flower at a certain time and then send up their foliage after the flowers fade. Anyone can grow iris says doris winton who has had a lifelong attraction to this plant and is a master judge for the american iris society it s easy to understand why people have such passion for iris it s a very diverse group of plants with bearded iris being one of three main categories.

Iris care is minimal once the growing iris is established. When harvesting bulbs it is fairly important to be aware of when they bloom. Irises iridaceae growing in shades of purple pink blue yellow and many colors in between are six petaled flowers. Place the bulbs in a cool dark place for 2 weeks to cure.

The new holes for the iris bulbs should be spaced at least 18 inches apart with each one pointed away from its neighbor. Growing guide how to grow border irises.