One of the most beautiful perennial plants of the iris (iris) family is the iris. Planting and caring for these plants have been known since ancient times. They were planted in the fields, and the rhizomes were used to make incense and medicines.
Iris flowers are grown in all countries of the world. Caring for them is not so difficult, so the number of plantings is great. Varieties of hybrid bearded, as well as moisture-loving irises, are especially popular. Among the beardless, the most popular type of enzata (xiphoid), which is very common in Japan (there are whole gardens of enzata irises).
The iris flower consists of 6 petal leaves, the upper ones form a dome, the outer ones (have beards similar to stamens) are lowered to the bottom. But the stamens with the pistil are hidden inside the flower. Flowers are pollinated by insects. In the natural environment, they can interbreed with each other, forming new varieties with a different color and proportions. This feature also allows artificial breeding of many hybrids and varieties of iris.
To grow beautiful irises, planting and caring for them require quality. First you need to plant them. Theselovely plants by dividing the bushes. The old bush is carefully dug out with a pitchfork and divided into some divisions, where there must be at least one fused link. The roots are dried, dead old roots are removed, powdered with crushed charcoal or treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. You can also separate the planting links by cutting the division from the side without digging out the entire bush.
For bearded irises, choose a sunny place to plant, without stagnant water. Marsh iris grows well in low areas. Light loam is the best soil for all species. Before planting, it is better to dig it up and add compost or rotted manure.
Iris transplantation is carried out at any time of the year. But better - 2-3 weeks after flowering. It is necessary to dig a hole, fill it with a mound of earth, straighten the roots of the delenka around the mound, cover it well with earth and compress it very tightly. It is advisable not to bury the rhizome, it should be visible above the ground. The distance between new plantings in high varieties is 40 cm, medium - 20 cm, dwarf - 15 cm. Abundant watering is required for some time after planting.
In the spring, iris (planting and caring for it is not particularly laborious, as you can see) loosen, dried leaves are removed. When the plants grow after winter, they are fed with phosphorus-nitrogen fertilizer in a ratio of 3:1, and after three weeks - with potassium-nitrogen fertilizer in a ratio of 1:1. It is usually watered during the dry period (abundantly) and before flowering, even during fertilization.
However easywas the cultivation of iris flowers, planting and caring for them must be correct. Regular weeding and top dressing is the key to beautiful flower beds. But even this can not always save plants from pests and diseases. For irises, these are thrips, scoops, wireworms, slugs. If these are found, the plants must be treated with karbofos. The most dangerous disease for them is bacteriosis, root rot. At first, it appears on the leaves: they turn brown, wither, turn yellow and are easily pulled out. Then the rhizome rots, and an unpleasant odor is emitted. Such diseased irises must be dug up, the rotted areas removed, the roots treated with potassium permanganate (solution) and dried well in the sun.
But in order to prevent such cases of loss and damage to the iris flower, planting and caring for it must be of high quality and caring. Then the flower beds will give only joy.
