Iris: planting and caring for the beautiful flowers

One of the most beautiful perennial plants of the family of tangent (iris) is iris. Planting and caring for these plants have been known since ancient times. They planted fields, and the rhizomes used to make incense and medicine.

In all countries of the world, flowers are grown irises. Care for them is not so complicated, therefore, the multiplicity of landings is great. Especially popular varieties of hybrid bearded, as well as moisture-loving irises. Among the beardless, the most popular form is the enzata (xiphoid), which is very common in Japan (there are whole gardens of enzate irises).

The iris flower consists of 6 petal leaves, the upper ones form a dome, the outer ones (have beards similar to stamens) are lowered to the bottom. But the stamens with a pestle are hidden inside the flower. Flowers are polluted by insects. In the natural environment, they can interbreed, forming new varieties with a different color and proportions. This feature allows and artificially to deduce many hybrids and varieties of iris.

To grow beautiful irises, planting and caring for them requires quality. To begin with, they need to be planted. These adorable plants multiply by dividing bushes. The old bush is dug carefully with pitchforks and divided into certain parts, where there must necessarily be at least one fused link. Roots are dried, removed dead old roots, powdered with charred coal or treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. Also it is possible to separate the landing links, cutting the side from the side, without digging the bush entirely.

For bearded irises, the landing site is chosen solar, without stagnation of water. Swamp iris grows well in low areas. Light loam is the best soil for all species. Before planting, it is best to dig it and make compost or overripe manure.

Transplanting irises is carried out at any time of the year. But better - 2-3 weeks after flowering. It is necessary to dig a hole, pour in it a mound of earth, straighten the roots of the division around the mound, it is good to cover it with earth and very tightly compress it. It is advisable not to bury the rhizome, it should be visible above the surface of the earth. The distance between new plantings in high grades is 40 cm, medium - 20 cm, dwarf - 15 cm. A lot of watering is required after planting.

In the spring of iris (planting and care for it is not particularly laborious, as you can see) loosen, the dried leaves are removed. When plants grow in growth after winter, they are fed with phosphate-nitrogen fertilizer in a ratio of 3: 1, and after three weeks - potassium-nitrogen fertilizer in a ratio of 1: 1. Watered usually in the dry period (abundantly) and before flowering, even during fertilization.

No matter how easy it is to grow iris flowers, planting and caring for them should be right. Regular weeding and top dressing is the guarantee of beautiful flowerbeds. But even this can not always save plants from pests and diseases. For irises are thrips, scoops, wireworms, slugs. When these are found, plants must be treated with carbophos. The most dangerous disease for them is bacteriosis, rot of the rhizome. In the beginning, it appears on the leaves: they become brown, fade, turn yellow and are easily pulled out. Then the rhizome decays, and an unpleasant odor is produced. Such diseased irises should be excavated, the areas affected by decay should be removed, the roots should be treated with potassium permanganate (solution) and well dried with sunlight.

But in order to prevent such cases of loss and damage to the flower of iris, planting and caring for it should be of high quality and care. Then the flowerbeds will only give joy.