Planting Irises - Fresh Flowers in your Garden

Irises are the easiest of perennials to grow and give an abundance of blooms with little care. The iris has a thick root like a potato. When you buy an iris, you will receive a root with clipped leaves. It can remain out of the ground for a week or two without hurting it.

When planting your irises, pick a sunny spot in well draining soil. Set up the soil well, by turning over the soil to about 10 inches deep. Add fertilizer and work it into the topsoil. This should be done 2 to 3 weeks before you plant your irises. This will give more growth and abundant blooms. Do not make the irises compete with grass or weeds for food and water.

The soil should be light. The roots must be buried deep to hold the plant in place, but the iris bulb should be near the surface. Be sure to compact the soil and allow enough for settling.

If you have several iris bulbs, plant them at least a foot and a half apart, facing the same way. The iris bulbs will increase in the same direction, without crowding each other.

From the new parts of the iris bulb, new bloom stalks will come up in later years and the flowers will be exactly as the original flower. This is called vegetative spread.