Ok, yes, I went overboard. I also really don't have a good plan for how to plant them, which is why I'm here.

I've got 25+ varieties arriving from 3 vendors in late August or early September. I don't know the best way to plant them. I've got plenty of space and can plan in broad beds, rows, staggered rows, etc. But I don't know how much space to give them. I was hoping that I could get a few suggestions from people with experience gained from the school of hard knocks. (I do know to leave the rhizome peeking out of the soil and that they have a facing - and to fan the roots out to the rear.)

My intent is to enjoy them in place and, as they grow, to take divisions and to mix them into other beds. So, together at first and then integrated with my other mixed beds as they propagate.

Thanks!

Top

Welcome Top! Congratulations on more than 25 varieties of iris coming your way!
I'm sure that many here will have suggestions, such as having your soil analyzed so you'll know its needs. I've yet to do that myself, but it's on my list.
I like to give each rhizome as much space as I can- 12" to 24" but it's never enough.
Water when dry two inches down. Every region has different requirements. Good luck - you're in good company here!

janwax said:
I like to give each rhizome as much space as I can- 12" to 24" but it's never enough.
Water when dry two inches down. Every region has different requirements. Good luck - you're in good company here!

24" - I can do that. Space is one thing I have available. Do they grow in all directions, towards the rhizome side, back towards the root? I've owned 4 since spring, but they have mostly been busy replacing their foliage and have grown perhaps a bit wider.

Top

welcome aboard top, with your overboard order. which, by the way, is small by comparison to others on the forum. if you have the room, it's better to space them 18-24", that way you'll have 2-3 yr. before you'll need to divide.

i cannot plant them that far apart in my current, tiny garden, and have to dig and divide every 1 - 2 yr., which can be back breaking work in the heat of summer and early fall.

here's some information to get you started, and as for planting iris, there are several videos on youtube.
http://www.winterberryirises.c...

good luck!

In February when I placed my orders, I thought that both the Dusky Challenger from Pam, and Mary Frances were dead. So I reordered them long with other new ones.

One nursery delivered in June, and those three iris were promptly planted. The orders from the two other nurseries arrived both yesterday. I gave them a soak, and have already planted 6 of the 9.

These are:

Willow Bend Nurseries:

Double Platinum


Mary Frances


Magical


Schreiner's Nursery:

Blueberry Bliss


Celebration Song


Dusky Challenger
[db_photo]367962[/db_photo

Stairway to Heaven


Yaquina Blue


Tanzanite Twinkle

daisy, for your missing photo.

Dusky Challenger

thank you evelyn. you are so generous! what did i do to deserve your gifts of acorns?

Thanks Daphne. It looks like I left off a right bracket on Dusky Challenger's photo. You caught itand filled it in. Thanks again.

shizen said:welcome aboard top, with your overboard order. which, by the way, is small by comparison to others on the forum. if you have the room, it's better to space them 18-24", that way you'll have 2-3 yr. before you'll need to divide.

i cannot plant them that far apart in my current, tiny garden, and have to dig and divide every 1 - 2 yr., which can be back breaking work in the heat of summer and early fall.

here's some information to get you started, and as for planting iris, there are several videos on youtube.
http://www.winterberryirises.c...
good luck!

Daphne ~ By giving Top, the means to finding unlimited resources on planting and growing bearded irises.

Welcome, Top! What are some of the cultivars you ordered?

welcome I would suggest not planting the same colors near each other (where they could grow into each other). Be assured they will try & do so & then you will have a mess trying to sort them out. Map ( says she who doesn't have one).

Yes, always map your garden. In case the tags go missing or it blooms as the wrong iris, you have a source to check to see what that iris should be.

irisarian said:welcome I would suggest not planting the same colors near each other (where they could grow into each other). Be assured they will try & do so & then you will have a mess trying to sort them out.

This sounds like a valuable suggestion, thank you!

lauriemorningglory said:Welcome, Top! What are some of the cultivars you ordered?

This links to my filtered list: https://garden.org/lists/view/...

Otherwise:

Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris (Iris 'Betsey Boo')
Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Blueberry Bliss')
Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris (Iris 'Blueberry Tart')
Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris (Iris 'Candy Apple')
Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'China Moon')
Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Cloud Ballet')
Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Cordoba')
Intermediate Bearded Iris (Iris 'Devil's Playground')
Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Eggnog')
Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Florentine Silk')
Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Goldkist')
Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Gypsy Lord')
Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Here Comes the Night')
Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Immortality')
Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Invitation')
Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Mariposa Skies')
Border Bearded Iris (Iris 'Mostest')
Border Bearded Iris (Iris 'October Splendor')
Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Ozark Rebounder')
Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Persian Berry')
Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Priscilla of Corinth')
Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris (Iris 'Smell the Roses')
Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Tennison Ridge')
Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Victoria Falls')
Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'War Chief')
Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Warrior King')
Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Wine Festival')
Species Iris (Iris pallida 'Zebra')

Hopefully a good mix. I also got a pair of variegated sweet irises thinking that I might enjoy the foliage (Zebra is how I found them listed).

Top

Lestv said:Yes, always map your garden. In case the tags go missing or it blooms as the wrong iris, you have a source to check to see what that iris should be.

Thanks! It is a good idea which I started doing earlier in the spring. I have been trying to anchor my beds with established plants so I have a reliable starting point. The last couple of beds that I made didn't have the luxury of an existing tree or plant, which leaves me depending upon stakes or poles (not real happy about that).

And it works great until a perennial comes up that doesn't quite look like it should... I have a lovely not-Lorelei peony occupying some prime real estate - fortunately, I wasn't kidding about it being lovely. I am sure that doesn't happen to anyone but me, right?

Top

I made the mistake of making a round bed it became an issue when a garden helper moved all my iris tags and then took out all the irises that were there with the weed eater. All you could see was dirt after he was finished.

Pain and agony!

iciris said:All you could see was dirt after he was finished.

What's all these pointy weeds?!

Wow, that must have really hurt.

I live in a very rural area and, from time to time, some of the wildlife gets curious about what I've planted and then they dig it out. Fortunately they tend to tire after 2 or 3 plants / seedlings are dug.

Established plants rarely get destroyed - but I do recall backing my mower up only to hear a rose bush that I'd just planted an hour earlier go under the blades. It would have been cheaper to have taken my money and just set fire to it.

Top

iciris said:I made the mistake of making a round bed it became an issue when a garden helper moved all my iris tags and then took out all the irises that were there with the weed eater. All you could see was dirt after he was finished.

Barbara ~ OMG!!! That is just horrible! I hope you fired him. Or at least showed him what iris rhizomes were...garden "unhelper"!

You would think a clue that there was something valuable planted there was all of the tags they removed first....

Hey Top,
I am by no means an expert, but I can tell you that I thought the rhizomes grew out in one direction - HAHAHAHAHA! I very carefully pointed them all the same way so they would grow into each other, leaving plenty of space in "front" and on the sides for them to expand. Next thing you know, I've got mish-mash in one area and big voids in another. They just grew where they wanted to. I guess they're like people - some like crowded city living and some like to be out in the country!