Planting, growing and caring for bulbous irises are the secrets of gardeners. Planting, growing and caring for bulbous irises: a brief educational program for gardeners
Choosing plants for a flower bed has long ceased to be a problem - a huge number of seeds, seedlings and bulbs are sold in stores, nurseries and markets. The main thing is to decide on the composition of the flower bed and select the necessary palette. Every florist is like an artist. But it’s not broad strokes that create beauty. oil paints, but delicate flower buds.
The Dutch iris can be a win-win option for decorating large and small flower beds. This is with the big ones beautiful flowers unusual shape.
What does an iris bulb look like?
We're talking about a long-term herbaceous plant with an elongated bulb instead of a rhizome. The bulb itself is a modified and shortened underground shoot that resembles a bud. With a vertical cut from top to bottom, in the middle part of the bulb you can find the embryo of the flower arrow. Around it, like wrappers, are the rudiments of the leaves. They are charged with the function of accumulating nutrients.
Between the leaf embryos there are axillary and central buds. Outer layer bulbs - cover scales. The diameter of the bulbs is not very large - it ranges from 2 to 3.5 cm.
Botanical description
More familiar to our gardeners are rhizomatous types of irises. These are the flowers that in childhood we called cockerels and iris. However, it is also no longer exotic. The most common of them is the Dutch iris. The scientific name of this flower is Xiphium. Despite the fact that Xyphium is a member of the Iris family and belongs to the genus Iris, it is recognized as a separate representative of the genus. Sometimes, by the way, this causes confusion in the specialized literature.
The Dutch bulbous iris, the planting and care of which is described in this article, produces flower stalks different heights. The dwarf species can produce a peduncle 30 cm high. The ordinary xyphium reaches a height of 80 cm.
The plant has narrow-grooved leaves, and the flower has complex structure. The bud has 3 outer and 3 inner perianth lobes. The internal lobes are located vertically and have a narrow and wide lanceolate shape. The outer lobes have rounded shape and directed towards the bottom.
Usually the outer perianth lobes have a yellow or orange spot in the center. The Dutch iris bud has several color and leaf width options. Moreover, it can be one-color or two-color.
The following petal colors are possible:
- white;
- yellow of varying intensity;
- different shades of blue and light blue;
- different shades of purple;
- lilac;
- combined versions of all the listed colors.
Where are Dutch irises used?
Dutch iris is often planted on personal plots and on garden beds. Landscape designers actively promote the species, using it in mixborders and alpine slides. From bright colors make up bouquets that are appropriate to give to men, especially for bouquets of blue and purple colors. Low-growing bulbous irises can be grown as houseplants.
It is worth noting that cut Dutch iris will last much longer in a bouquet than root varieties. Especially good to use for a vase rainwater, because it does not contain chlorine.
How to choose soil for planting
When the Dutch iris is described, planting appears to many as a difficult task. But it is not so. It is enough to have information about several nuances of this process.
One of them is the choice of soil for the plant. The main thing you need to know is that irises do not tolerate excess moisture. They quickly die from rotting of the bulb and roots. Before planting, it is important to take care of drainage. However, it is not necessary to place it directly under the plants. Shallow trenches filled with gravel or broken bricks, dug near the flowerbed along its entire length, have proven themselves to be effective.
For those who are planning to plant Dutch bulbous iris for the first time, planting and care begin with the choice of soil. The ideal soil for this plant is loose, with high air permeability, nutritious, neutral or slightly alkaline. In addition, it must be waterproof.
In sandy and peat soils, turf and leaf soil, if necessary, adjust acidity. Do not use fresh manure or excessive doses of chemical fertilizers. Perfect option- well-ripened compost or humus (a bucket of compost per 1 m² of land). After application, the fertilizer is thoroughly mixed with the soil. Subsequently, the irises are fed wood ash.
How to plant bulbs
Do you want Dutch bulbous iris to bloom under your window? is done as follows:
- Using a round peg (diameter about 5 cm), pierce the soil 15 cm deep. A distance of approximately 10 cm is maintained between the pits.
- A handful of large grains is poured into the hole. river sand, into which the bulb is buried 1-2 cm.
- The bulb is covered with the same sand on top.
After purchasing, any bulbs should be treated with a fungicide solution and slightly dried. Before planting, no later than 2 days, water the flowerbed or flowerpot with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and
Slightly sprouted bulbs, with sprouts and roots, are planted in a trench. The depth can be from 15 to 20 cm. This helps to carefully position the roots and not damage them. In this case, sand is poured to approximately 2/3 of the height of the trench. Dutch irises on top ( bulbous species), carefully pressed with sand and covered with soil mixture. Then watering is carried out. The soil can be mulched with sand, small pebbles, and gravel.
Another convenient way to disembark
Dutch bulbous irises can be planted in a special basket. This plastic container With big amount gaps and holes for air access and water outflow. It is inexpensive, you can find it in flower shops or order it on the World Wide Web.
The basket must be placed on the ground and circled with a shovel, the turf must be removed along the contour and a hole about 15 cm deep must be dug, the necessary fertilizer must be added to it, then the basket must be placed on top and loose soil mixed with compost must be poured into it. Next in the cart is placed required amount bulbs, which are covered with earth on top. At the end of flowering, the container is dug out and all the bulbs are stored.
Flowering time
Flowering begins at the end of May. Depending on the variety, the difference in the time of appearance of flower stalks and buds is 2-3 weeks. If it is humid and cool outside, the flowers will last up to three to four weeks. In dry, sunny weather they fade faster.
If you select varieties of bulbous irises with different flowering, then a gorgeous flowerbed will delight you even longer. And then you will be left with juicy and beautiful foliage, which can also serve as decoration.
How to care for a blooming Dutch iris
In time, Dutch is not very whimsical. It only needs to be watered in very dry summers. Typically, xyphium has enough natural moisture and morning dew. If neighboring plants require watering, then the irises are simply covered with film so that water does not get into the holes. Bulbous irises do not need regular feeding. It is enough to feed with wood ash or mineral mixture a week before flowering. The time is determined by the beginning of the formation of buds, they look like compactions between the leaves of the plant.
What to do next
So, the buds have faded, the xyphium foliage has completely dried out. What to do next? Does Dutch iris require care after flowering? After the leaves of the plant have completely dried, the bulb should be dug up. What’s nice is that where the gardener planted one bulb, there will be a small nest of them. Each bulb can be planted separately next year, or you can leave them in a nest for 3-4 years. If the gardener divides it, then next year only the largest bulbs will bloom, and the small ones will grow for several seasons, preparing for flowering.
The bulbs are dried and stored in a dry room until the beginning of Indian summer. Then they can be planted again in flower beds, but if the climate in the region is cold, then the planting should be covered for the winter. Thus, it is possible to understand color scheme, timing of flowering and height of peduncles, and next year form an ideal flower garden.
Diseases and pests
Dutch iris is damaged by leaf borers. In this case, damaged leaves are cut off and the plant is treated with insecticides. Be sure to dig up the soil in the fall and remove last year's foliage and trimmed stems and branches of other plants.
Of the diseases, the most dangerous for irises are various forms of spotting.
Among bulbous perennials, a special place is occupied by reticulated irises, they are so expressive like spring that they attract attention for a long time, even despite their tiny size. Let's figure out what kind of plants these are, when and how to plant bulbous irises, and also how to use them in garden design.
Bulbous iris iridodictium: description and varieties
In the catalogs of flower companies, the name “iridodictium” is not yet often used to designate small-bulbed irises, and this is not surprising: for a long time Reticulate irises(Iris reticulata) took their place among the irises; they were identified as a separate genus quite recently. But it is still easier for the buyer and seller to pronounce “iris” than to get used to the new name.
In iridodictiums, just like in rhizomatous irises, three petals (inner perianths) are directed vertically upward, and three perianths are lowered down. They are much smaller than rhizomatous irises, reaching approximately 15 cm. Their flowering period is short - 10-15 days, depending on the growing region this is March-April. They are also suitable for forcing for the March holidays. There are blue, violet, lilac varieties with beautiful bright spots on the lower perianths, here are some of them:
- Camtab
- Clarette
- Joyce
- Alida
- Pauline
- Royal Blue
- Harmony
- Katherine Hodgkin
- Wetworth
- J.S.Dijt
Iridodictium: planting and care, photos of small irises in the garden
Reticulated irises are well suited to calcareous soils, so they can often be found in gardens on alpine hills. Plant the bulbs to a depth of 8-10 cm in sunny, flood-free areas of the garden. Just like crocuses, it is possible to plant iridodictium bulbs on turf. In this case, they try to let the bulbs ripen, and only after the leaves have dried do they mow the grass.
The bulbs are not dug up and divided often - not earlier than 5 years after planting. Remove the bulbs from the soil after the leaves have dried and store them in a shady place in the garden until autumn. It is best to plant bulbous irises in late September-early October. Since reticulated irises grow in one place for a long time, plant the bulbs not often, let the children develop.
Spring, or rather early summer, planting of bulbs that have been put out for sale is also possible. Then you need to wait until the end of the growing season and plant the plants in the garden together with a lump of earth. There is no need to rush into planting - they were driven out in greenhouse conditions and early planting of bulbs in unheated soil will be stressful for them.
Irises from bulbs in landscape design
Except alpine slides, Iridodictiums are appropriate in the foreground of any flower garden with well-drained, light soil. These are very early flowers, they finish their growing season by June, so they are suitable for any stylistic design of the garden. Their winter hardiness is higher than that of Dutch irises, which means they are also good for regions with harsh climates.
Our grandmothers, growing garden strawberries, or strawberries, as we used to call them, did not particularly worry about mulching. But today this agricultural technique has become fundamental in achieving High Quality berries and reducing crop losses. Some might say it's a hassle. But practice shows that labor costs in in this case pay off handsomely. In this article we invite you to get acquainted with the nine the best materials for mulching garden strawberries.
Succulents are very diverse. Despite the fact that “little ones” have always been considered more fashionable, the range of succulents with which you can decorate modern interior, it’s worth taking a closer look. After all, colors, sizes, patterns, degree of prickliness, impact on the interior are just a few of the parameters by which you can choose them. In this article we will tell you about the five most fashionable succulents that amazingly transform modern interiors.
The Egyptians used mint as early as 1.5 thousand years BC. It has a strong aroma due to the high content of various essential oils, which are highly volatile. Today mint is used in medicine, perfumery, cosmetology, winemaking, cooking, ornamental gardening, in the confectionery industry. In this article we will look at the most interesting varieties of mint, and also talk about the features of growing this plant in open ground.
People began growing crocuses 500 years before our era. Although the presence of these flowers in the garden is fleeting, we always look forward to the return of the harbingers of spring next year. Crocuses are one of the earliest primroses, whose flowering begins as soon as the snow melts. However, flowering times may vary depending on the species and varieties. This article is dedicated to the earliest varieties of crocuses, which bloom in late March and early April.
Cabbage soup made from early young cabbage in beef broth is hearty, aromatic and easy to prepare. In this recipe you will learn how to cook delicious beef broth and cook light cabbage soup with this broth. Early cabbage cooks quickly, so it is placed in the pan at the same time as other vegetables, unlike autumn cabbage, which takes a little longer to cook. Ready cabbage soup can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Real cabbage soup turns out tastier than freshly prepared cabbage soup.
Looking at the variety of tomato varieties, it’s hard not to get confused - the choice is very wide today. Even experienced gardeners He's annoying sometimes! However, understanding the basics of selecting varieties “for yourself” is not so difficult. The main thing is to delve into the peculiarities of the culture and start experimenting. One of the easiest groups of tomatoes to grow are varieties and hybrids with limited growth. They have always been valued by those gardeners who do not have much energy and time to care for their beds.
Once very popular under the name of indoor nettle, and then forgotten by everyone, coleus today is one of the brightest garden and indoor plants. It is not for nothing that they are considered stars of the first magnitude for those who are primarily looking for non-standard colors. Easy to grow, but not so undemanding as to suit everyone, coleus require constant monitoring. But if you take care of them, bushes made of velvety unique leaves will easily outshine any competitor.
Salmon backbone baked in Provençal herbs provides tasty pieces of fish pulp for a light salad with fresh wild garlic leaves. The champignons are lightly fried in olive oil and then poured over apple cider vinegar. These mushrooms are tastier than regular pickled ones, and they are better suited for baked fish. Wild garlic and fresh dill get along well in one salad, highlighting each other’s aroma. The garlicky pungency of wild garlic will permeate both the salmon flesh and mushroom pieces.
Conifer tree or shrubs on the site is always great, but a lot of conifers is even better. Emerald needles of various shades decorate the garden at any time of the year, and phytoncides and essential oils, released by plants, not only aromatize, but also make the air cleaner. As a rule, most zoned adults coniferous plants, are considered very unpretentious trees and shrubs. But young seedlings are much more capricious and require proper care and attention.
Sakura is most often associated with Japan and its culture. Picnics in the canopy flowering trees have long become an integral attribute of welcoming spring in the Land of the Rising Sun. The financial and academic year here begins on April 1, when the magnificent cherry blossoms bloom. Therefore, many significant moments in the life of the Japanese take place under the sign of their flowering. But sakura also grows well in cooler regions - certain species can be successfully grown even in Siberia.
I am very interested in analyzing how people's tastes and preferences for certain foods have changed over the centuries. What was once considered tasty and was an item of trade, lost its value over time and, conversely, new fruit crops conquered their markets. Quince has been cultivated for more than 4 thousand years! And even in the 1st century B.C. e. About 6 varieties of quince were known, and even then methods of its propagation and cultivation were described.
Delight your family and prepare themed cottage cheese cookies in the shape of Easter eggs! Your children will be happy to take part in the process - sift the flour, combine all the necessary ingredients, knead the dough and cut out intricate figures. Then they will watch with admiration as pieces of dough turn into real Easter eggs, and then with the same enthusiasm they will eat them with milk or tea. How to make such original cookies for Easter, read our step by step recipe!
Among tuberous crops, there are not so many decorative deciduous favorites. And caladium is a true star among the variegated inhabitants of interiors. Not everyone can decide to own a caladium. This plant is demanding, and first of all, it requires care. But still, rumors about the extraordinary capriciousness of caladiums are never justified. Attention and care can avoid any difficulties when growing caladiums. And the plant can almost always forgive small mistakes.
We have prepared a hearty, incredibly appetizing and simply easy-to-prepare dish for you today. This sauce is one hundred percent universal, as it goes with every side dish: vegetables, pasta, or anything. Chicken and mushroom gravy will save you in moments when you don’t have time or don’t want to think too much about what to cook. Take your favorite side dish (you can do this in advance so everything is hot), add some gravy and dinner is ready! A real lifesaver.
Among the many different varieties We will tell you about three of these most popular vegetables, which are distinguished by their excellent taste and relatively unpretentious growing conditions. Characteristics of the eggplant varieties “Almaz”, “Black Beauty” and “Valentina”. All eggplants have pulp medium density. In Almaz it is greenish, while in the other two it is yellowish-white. They are united by good germination and excellent yield, but in different time. Everyone's skin color and shape are different.
The story of my acquaintance with iridodictiums, like any story, had its “once”...
One day in early spring When there was still dirty snow in some places in the city, I walked past the garden of a famous florist. I noticed a spot of color - too bright on the dark ground, soaked with melt water. From a distance it seemed that there was a plastic toy forgotten by a child, or bright packaging from some product...
By that time, I was already so theoretically savvy that an assumption arose: it could be a flowering one (Iris reticulata). I have read about this plant, but have never seen it.
And that was exactly what they were - the flowers of the reticulated iris variety "Cantab". This was the first of the Iridodictiums that I came across.
For a long time I stood at the hedge of the garden with a blooming iridodictium, wondering complex design bright petals of a flower and its “orchidness”.
I couldn’t even understand why the analogy with . Maybe this is due to the extreme exoticism of iridodictium, and something else - which I felt intuitively. But I understood much later, when I became more familiar with the life of these amazing plants.
Iris flower pollination
Structurally, the reticulate iris flower is, in general, typical of all irises. It is delightfully adapted to the pollination process: the bright upper petals (they are called “standards” in English literature) are raised upward like signal flags to attract insects. The lower petals of the flower have a “bend plate” - a landing area, which continues with a path to the nectary - the “marigold”. And the split blades of the pistil form a roof over the marigold, covering the dry anther.
The first impression did not deceive me: the process of pollination of irises is very similar to the pollination of orchids.
The insect, attracted by the bright standards of the iris, lands on the wide part of the lower petal. Moreover, the landing site is usually marked with a bright contrasting spot.
Further along the color path running along the marigold, the insect follows the nectary. It is located deep in a kind of tunnel formed by the marigold and pistil.
While moving, the insect touches the anther located at the top of the tunnel formed by the pistil. In this case, pollen is dropped onto the back of the insect.
The stigma of the pistil is also located at the top and resembles a plate hanging down, secreting a sticky substance.
When an insect, showered with pollen, makes its way to the nectary of a plant ready for pollination, the sticky plate of the stigma slides along its back and collects pollen.
Isn’t it true - how complex and extremely expedient it is!
They say that “beauty is unconscious purposefulness.” And although this opinion is controversial, looking at the iris flower, I am ready to join it...
Distinctive features of iridodictium
A specific difference of the iridodictium flower is the large length of the lower petals, spaced apart. This gives a feeling of special grace and delicacy of the design.
In irises of other groups, such a flower is also characteristic of Xyphium and Spuria irises.
In addition to this small, from a scientific point of view, external difference in the structure of the flowers, there are much more significant features that distinguish iridodictiums from other irises, including from the more familiar rhizomes.
The underground part of the iridodictium plant is a bulb with reticulated covering scales.
Almost all iridodictiums (except 2 species) have a single vertically growing leaf - narrow, hollow, tetrahedral or multifaceted in cross-section.
Iridodictiums are the earliest flowering irises (or iris-like plants). They bloom as early as spring flowers. And similar spring crocuses, flowering in iridodictiums precedes the development of leaves. The degree of this advance varies among various types iridodictium, and this is an important species characteristic.
Iridodictium flowers without foliage (or surrounded by the tips of leaves that are just beginning to grow) seem to be simply stuck into the ground with their long tubes.
All these differences allow some botanists to speak about the originality, sufficient to distinguish iridodictums into a separate genus. And other botanists believe that the widespread genus of irises, in its adaptation to very specific growing conditions, could be modified into such plants. Which of them is right is a subject of scientific debate.
In the article I use the name “irises”, accepted in Western botanical literature, and the name “iridodictiums”, i.e. representatives of the genus Iridodictyum, into which Russian scientists group these plants.
For flower growers much more interesting question: “If these irises are so beautiful, and even bloom so early, why haven’t iridodictiums become as popular as crocuses?”
The easiest way to answer this question is: “That’s why hundreds of other plants that can grow in Russia are still little known or not known at all to Russian flower growers. Due to many years of isolation from world floriculture and the almost roulette principle of getting to those who love or other plants."
In many countries around the world, iridodictiums are grown in gardens as often as crocuses. To some extent, these plants compete in spring landscape decoration. But this would not be the whole truth.
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I don’t know about you, but I love irises more than many other flowers. In my opinion, these are absolutely magical plants. Luxurious beauties - tall, bearded, exquisite velvet “Siberians”, capricious but absolutely magical “Japanese”, powerful, life-affirming marsh iris... You can’t count them all! In this large flower family there are also tiny charming “elves”, which are among the first to bloom in the spring, along with snowdrops - bulbous irises. Their delicate buds emerge straight from the ground and, when blossoming, turn into real iris flowers. Magic, no less!
True, apart from flowers, bulbous irises do not have too much in common with their more representative relatives. Recently, botanists have even separated them from the vast genus Iris into a separate genus - Iridodictium.Of course, scientists know better. But if even the most eminent botanists do not consider it shameful to call iridodictiums irises in everyday life, then what can we say about the producers of planting material and us, flower growers? Therefore, from now on I will still call them irises - the name under which they are usually offered in garden center catalogs.
Iris Canteb. Photo: From personal archive / Elena Kozhina
A piece of heaven
Most often, among the spring-blooming ones in our gardens, you can find the reticulated iris (Iridodictyum reticulata) and its varieties, of which there are many (although you still have to “hunt” for them in garden centers). The flowers of representatives of this species can be purple, blue, sometimes white, but most often deep of blue color. Bright glades different shades blues from afar attract attention, as if “attracting” the blue April sky to the earth, still bare after winter. And these irises go well with other bulbous plants (crocuses, spring flowers, white flowers, scyllas).
Iris reticulum. Photo: From personal archive / Elena Kozhina
From experience, the reticulated iris lives well in the garden without the need for frequent digging. True, the resistance of different varieties and clones varies greatly. Some of them in our Moscow region even reproduce by self-sowing, while others behave much more restrained. Among the varieties I have personally tested, I can name<Кэнтеб> (
Dear whimsical
The second widespread representative of the “snowdrop irises” is Dunford’s iris (I. danfordiae). Its flower is not blue, but bright yellow, fragrant and also absolutely charming.
True, unfortunately, in the gardens middle zone In Russia this species does not live long. It is better to consider it rather as an annual for spring flower garden. Moreover, inexpensive Dutch planting material Dunford's iris is available in abundance in season. By planting bulbs in the fall, you will get a wonderful bright flower meadow in the spring. But the next year only individual specimens bloom, and by the third year there is practically nothing left of the clearing.
This is interesting
The botanically correct Russian name for this species is Mrs. Dunford's iridodictium. It is named after Mrs. Charles Danford, a famous plant collector who lived in the 19th century. She first discovered this iris in its homeland, Turkey, and launched its introduction into culture.In the literature I came across the following explanation for such fragility: after flowering, this iris most often forms not one large replacement bulb, but a dozen small ones, and for them to survive and bloom, several years of especially careful care are required. Deep planting of bulbs (up to 20 cm) helps to minimize the problem. It makes sense to try!
Dunford's Iris. Photo: From personal archive / Elena Kozhina
A beautiful stranger
And the last spring iris, which cannot be ignored. Variety<Катарина Ходжкин> (
Reticulated iris is often sold in late winter and early spring in pots for forcing. Such a gift may well decorate the garden if, after flowering, you transfer the plants from the pot to a larger container, place them on a sunny windowsill, or glazed loggia and water until the regrown leaves begin to turn yellow. After this, watering is stopped, the container with the bulbs is stored indoors until the end of August-beginning of September, and then they are planted in the garden. The next year after forcing, flowering may be weak, but then the bulbs will gain strength again.
And the most important thing for us, flower growers, is that this variety easily adapts to a wide variety of conditions, long time does not require digging and grows well, eventually forming large flowering clumps. It is also often found on sale. Be sure to plant it!
Iris Katharina Hodgkin. Photo: From personal archive / Elena Kozhina
How to grow?
For all types of bulbous irises it is necessary sunny plot with loose, fertile, non-acidic soil. They like the spring to be cool with heavy rainfall, the summer to be hot and dry, and the winter to be snowy and without thaws. Spring care, in addition to admiring the flowering, includes watering, weeding and fertilizing. For the latter, it is better to use highly soluble complex fertilizers with microelements and a high potassium content. Irises can grow in one place for 3–5 years without transplantation. But after the leaves die, the bulbs need to dry, so if the summer promises to be rainy or the flower garden is often watered, it is better to dig them up and store them in a ventilated area. Digging is usually carried out when the foliage begins to turn yellow, but has not yet completely dried out, and the nest of bulbs has not disintegrated. Irises are planted in the ground from late August to October, along with other decorative bulbous plants. Planting depth – 6–8 cm. It is very useful to mulch the flower garden with loose organic materials: mulch helps retain moisture in the soil, smooth out temperature changes and thereby prevent irises from waking up too early during winter thaws.