Post by Admin on Jul 7, 2019 16:25:36 GMT -7
Iris Are Lovely, Hardy and Easy To Grow in Montana
Iris are well suited to the cold winters and sometimes hot summers of Glastonbury. They are easy to plant, grow and maintain as well.
Iris sprout from rhizomes; a fleshy root that is finger thick and a few inches long. You can buy rhizomes in June, July and August at local big box stores or online. Simply dig a small, one to two inch deep hole or small trench in your garden, place the rhizome in it and cover with an inch or so of fresh soil, water and mulch. The best months for planting are July and August. A small sword shaped leaf will emerge in a few weeks and roots will grow. In the following spring more leaves will grow. Usually it takes two years before flower shoots emerge.
We use straw for mulch. The light color reflects much of the sun's powerful rays while keeping the soil underneath somewhat moist. Iris have large sword shaped leaves that are efficient collectors of light rains and dew that are frequent in May and June in Glastonbury. The thick leaves resist wind and hail and can store water for weeks.
Iris come in a wide variety of beautiful colors and grow best in full sun. The blossoms can grow to softball size and be brilliantly colored. Mature Iris will have several buds per stem that will open over a period of two weeks or more. They make excellent vase bouquets and generally last for about a week indoors.
The rhizomes grow in a clump that should be separated after it reaches 12 inches or more in diameter. We dig up our Iris clumps in early August and carefully separate the individual rhizomes. Each gets planted in a new spot in the yard where it has plenty of sun and room to grow. South facing hillsides are our favorite place to plant new Iris. We dig out a little terrace, brace it with a few small rocks and then wait for the Iris to grow.
Iris leaves are often 12 to 18 inches tall and the flower stalks can reach three feet. They tower above surrounding grass, if it is trimmed, and thus do well in a natural setting. Iris do not normally need drip irrigation either. The grow and bloom by late June while we are still getting light rain. In late July, when the warm and dry weather takes over Iris start to go dormant. Then they can be safely dug up and separated.
Three and four years ago Ia Williams gave us several bunches of Iris rhizomes. Ia has a spectacular flower garden in North Glastonbury and is an accomplished gardener. We planted the rhizomes and patiently waited. Most survived the first winter and came up the next year. Last year we started to see a few beautiful blooms in delicate shades of pink, peach and yellow. This year we were rewarded with baseball sized flowers on full 36 inch stalks that lasted for almost three weeks!
Every spring we sprinkle a little 10-10-10 granular fertilizer around the Iris leaves. Then we carefully pull any weeds and gently mulch the Iris with partially decomposed straw that sat outside all winter. We cut the flower stalks after they are done blooming. Old, wilted and yellowing leaves are removed in fall and early spring.
Many of the Iris you see pictured here may be enjoyed in person at the Emigrant Post Office or General Store. We try to bring them a fresh bouquet every week.
Many of the Iris you see pictured here may be enjoyed in person at the Emigrant Post Office or General Store. We try to bring them a fresh bouquet every week.
Poppies do well in Glastonbury also but are not as weather resistant as Iris. The blooms are spectacular but only last for a short while. They tend to bloom in early July and add brilliant color to any garden.