Iris transplant
Content:
Iris is a stunningly beautiful flower that is striking in its shape and colors. But any experienced gardener will confirm to you that these flowers should be planted regularly, separating the bushes, as they grow very quickly. Each plant grows annually two "delenki", each of which next year will have its own "children", so if you do not divide the plant in time, it will soon lose its decorative effect, and then wither away altogether. What time to choose for transplanting irises, how to carry it out, how to provide care for the transplanted plants - we will talk about all this in this article.
Iris transplant: choosing a place and time
The iris is transplanted in the autumn, when the growing season ends and the plants are ready to go into a dormant state. Plants transplanted in the fall have enough time at their disposal to take root and adapt in a new place. In the southern regions with a mild climate, it is possible to transplant irises in the first half of October, but in the middle lane it is advisable to complete all work before the end of September. It will take at least a month for the irises to fully root, so if you delay with the transplant, the bushes will not have time to take root in a new place until the cold weather, they will wither and may die.
In hot and dry summers, irises can be planted at the end of August, but of course only after they have faded.
If you did not manage to plant the plants, and the weather has already become not cold in autumn, then the irises can be dug up and stored in the cellar or in the basement, and in the spring you can divide the bush and plant it. There is no fundamental difference between spring and autumn planting of irises, except that in the spring you will have to pay more attention to watering and fertilize the soil three times. The first time a couple of weeks before the intended planting, preparing a place for irises, the second time immediately after planting, and the third time just before flowering, when the irises begin to release flower stalks.
When choosing a place for transplanting an iris, it must be borne in mind that this plant prefers a well-lit dry place, ventilated, but protected from drafts. It is necessary to make sure that there will be no dampness at the planting site, as this inevitably leads to rotting of the roots, the appearance and spread of mold, and ultimately to the death of the plant. Make sure that the loaders do not pass too close to the soil surface.
The soil in which you plant irises should be light and loose, allow moisture and air to pass through, and have a weak or neutral level of acidity.
Iris: transplant rules
Preparation of a place for transplanting iris should be started in advance, about 2-3 weeks before planting, dig up the soil, remove all weeds. You can add peat soil as a source of additional nutrition, sand for more looseness of the soil, and if the soil is acidic, then add lime or dolomite flour.
You should dig up the bearded iris bushes with a garden pitchfork, in this case the risk of injuring the rhizomes is significantly reduced.
Having dug up the plant, you should carefully divide it into equal parts, each of which should have a formed rosette with roots. Then each such part must be rinsed in running water, carefully examine all the roots and remove the damaged areas. All gardening tools (pruning shears, knife, scissors) must be sharply sharpened and disinfected beforehand.
The leaves of the plant must be cut off at an angle, leaving 1/3 part.Then the roots should be disinfected in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate prepared in advance for 15-20 minutes and dried before planting in a new place. The finished planting material is a segment with 1-3 buds.
Shallow plant holes are dug at a distance of half a meter to leave room for rapidly growing roots. Irises do not welcome strong deepening, therefore, placing a bush in the center, it is necessary to spread the roots to the sides, just slightly below the soil level. Then water the plant and top with dry soil.
It is necessary to transplant irises in dry cloudy weather, the soil should not be waterlogged, with almost dry.
Iris: care after transplant
Iris transplant: photo of the process
After transplanting in the autumn, irises do not need additional watering, there will be enough precipitation. It is necessary to water the plants only in case of a long absence of rain.
Plants also do not need additional feeding before the winter months, but in the spring you will need mineral fertilizers. For irises, you can use Kristallon, Sudarushka, Kemira, Azofoska, Aquamarine, Ammophos and Plastafol. Your irises will probably respond well to any of these fertilizers, but it's still best to pick and use one that best suits your flowers.
Yellowing and drying leaves should not scare you - it's still autumn in the yard, and this is part of a natural process that has nothing to do with rooting.
Bearded irises are hardy plants and in most regions do not require additional shelter for the winter. But if in your area winter is characterized by severe frosts, then you can cover the plants with fallen dry leaves or straw, so they will definitely not freeze and will delight you with their flowering next year.