hello, I have had some problems in the iris that I planted in the ground, in some varieties,
the mother rhizome dry (shrivel) very quickly, in less than a year after planted, leaving only the children; the same with those I have in pots.Here in Portugal southern Europe we have a
hot and dry summer much like that of California.
In summer I water them every week and cover the top exposed surface of the rhizomes with a thin layer of soil.
They catch the sun all day.
Should I plant them where they catch a few hours of shade?
Should I plant them deeper?
Does someone can help me?

Thank you

HELDER

Hi Helder. You're not having a problem -- that's what Irises do. The *mother* Iris that you plant blooms the first year, then it produces babies on the sides, then the mother rhizome dies. The children rhizomes then mature and do the same thing. Each rhizome only blooms one season and then never again.

It sounds like you have a good climate for Irises -- they like it hot and dry!! If you are watering every week, it's possible that you are over-watering them. Also, Irises like to have their rhizomes uncovered -- they like the sun to shine on the top of those rhizomes. The rhizome is not a root -- it's actually a leaf -- and that's probably why it likes the sun. So if you're covering the rhizomes with soil, and watering weekly, it's possible that you're creating an opportunity for rot.

You do not need to plant them where there is shade -- they love the sun. And you should definitely NOT plant them deeper. As long as you're getting flowers every Spring, everything is fine!!

BTW -- to the list!!

Hi Mary,thanks for your advice,I sarted to grow irises three years ago and all
varieties that I have, I bought them in France, there, we can find irises of Cayeux, k.keppel, Schreiner, Blyth ... etc.
However, there, the climate is colder than here,for example
like the climate of Oregon.
In late September I will order for the first time in iris Lomer, an English couple,
which has a garden in southern Spain.
There the climate and the soil are just as
here in Portugal,very close of that of California. Although they do not possess so many
varieties like the French, they have successfully managed to cultivate irises.
Their latest introductions are for example:
Aztec Art, Grapetezer, Prague etc.
I will ask them for advice.
All varieties that I have ordered, have bloomed relatively well in the first year,
however the second and third years I have had
few flowers, I think they need time to adapt to the soil.
Last year I ordered two rhizomes of
each variety and for example of the two ryhzomes of (gypsy lord) one bloomed the other does not, the same happened with (badlands),in (dusky chalenger)
they bloomed both.
However I have some that I bought in 2011 such as: (snapshot, mariposa autumn or first interstate)
that never bloomed!I think the alkaline soil rich in potassium of southern Portugal is good for the iris.
Here we have two varieties of wild iris
two intermediate bearded varieties, white and purple and a tall bearded blue.The blue ones are very tall and they all form
massive clumps in the fields, next spring I will
take some shots to post here.
During the summer months in certain cases,their
leaves dry completely and only
begin to grow with the first rains of the Fall.

Helder F.

The blooms were set from where you bought the plants. Now they must become accustomed to new soil so they might need an extra year to adjust.