This week I purchased "Tour De France".
It has yellow falls and white standards.
But on the packaging it recommends "chalky" soil.
I had never heard of this for Iris before?
I will try to find a bag of limestone rocks to place in the hole.
I am wondering if this is a new thing or did I miss something?

I've never seen or heard that recommended. If most other plants grow for you the iris will do fine. They grow in a wide variety of soils. I wouldn't worry . Perhaps a little bone meal mixed in well.

Yes, I was going to suggest you throw in a handful of bone meal at the bottom and mix it in.

Hi Caroline!

Our soil is acidic enough we can grow Japanese iris without amendments, and the bearded irises grow fine here. If you can grow most perennials with no problems I would not worry about bearded irises.

They really prefer a neutral soil, but grow in our 6.5 type.

Thanks---I usually do the bone meal with Irises.

I've read recommendations for adding Bone Meal in other threads here and at Cubits. Is this to promote Rhizome growth/size? Very minor raising of PH? I add a high phosphorus fertilizer, 14-26-6, in late summer/fall to certain bulbous plants to promote "bulb" size. Is this a good regimen for bearded? Sibs, JI, others?

I use a 10-10-10 for sibs and JIs. Miracid or Miracle Gro for acid loving plants if the leaves turn yellow.

First # of a fertilizer formula should be low. 5-10-10 is getting more difficult to find for some realson. Too much nitrogen for bearded irises produces leaves, not bloomstalks.

No issues with high PH here. I usually add lime here and there for lavender, creeping phlox and a few others.

So do you pretty much leave the bearded alone in the fall? Is it best to fertilize spring and at transplant with the low N? FYI Polly the bearded you sent got just a bit of 6-6-6 at planting and a touch of bone meal and nothing since. I have a very good topsoil, old farm, with good drainage.

I also fertilize in the fall with a 6-10-10 granular that I get at WalMart or Orchard Supply. Regarding the bone meal I don't know much about it, only that Joe Ghio recommends putting a handful of bone meal in the hole and mixing it in with the soil when you first plant a bearded iris -- he says your plants will thank you in the future...

You must be doing things right---by that photo!

If you're talking about my picture (avatar) when I post, I'm sorry to say that I can't claim those iris -- that picture was taken in the hybridizer Keith Keppel's garden, and the irises in front of me are his new introduction, EASTER CANDY. Wish I could grow 'em like that!

Well they are beautiful!
Garden centers around here are selling "Bonemeal Plus",
which is bonemeal, ammonium phosphate and limestone so I guess that will be somewhat
"chalky".

I kept reading the postings here trying to figure out the use of chalk. Chalk is a form of lime which raises the pH or 'sweetens' the soil. The chalk absorbs and retains moisture which one does not want for the typical iris beds. There is no logical reason to use it since adding humus is much more productive as an amendment.

From what I have read, bone meal is an excellent source of plant nutrients but can require as much as a year to break down to where the plant can utilize them.

Aril & arilbred irises need the lime in our acidic soil. We don't use it otherwise. Most bearded irises prefer a neutral soil. Siberians love the acid soil.

Interesting info about bone meal, Jerry. I'll bet that's probably why Joe Ghio says your plants will thank you -- down the road!

This is one of many internet site which discuss bone meal. From all I have read, late summer or late fall applications on newly planted items would be best for the nutrients to be useful in the spring.

http://www.the-organic-gardene...

Thanks!