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If you want a low maintenance, easy to grow flower, you have come to the right plant. Irises like full sun, but tolerate partial shade well. Their only demand is well draining soil to avoid root rot. The soil does not need to be the richest in your yard. Nor, does it demand heavy fertilizer feeding. In the US, these plants grow very well in zones 3 through 8.
Mulching around the plants will help to keep out the weeds. Once established, you will need to water them only in the driest part of the year. Fertilize occasionally. Do not apply heavy doses of Nitrogen.
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Irises are grown from both seed and root
separation. The roots, or Rhizomes, are easily separated and replanted. The
Rhizome looks like a long, thin potato with roots underneath. When
transplanting, separate the Rhizome.
Make sure to have some root and a leaf or two in each section. Plant the Rhizomes near the surface with the roots below. Space them a foot or so apart . They will fill in the spaces quickly. When planting, make sure to put it in a spot where it can grow and thrive for years. It will spread quickly and will need to be thinned or divided regularly.
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Plant iris with the
rhizome high in the soil, and the roots well-anchored. Dig two trenches with
a ridge between them, place the rhizome on the ridge and spread the roots
carefully in the trenches.
Then fill the trenches with soil, letting the top surface of the rhizome be just barely beneath the surface of the soil. In heavy clay soils the rhizome should be planted higher so that up to half of the rhizome is exposed above soil level. Firm the soil well and water thoroughly. To divide them, about every 2~4 years, simply pull up some of the Rhizomes. The remaining plants will reward you with healthier plants and bigger blooms. As for what to do with the Rhizomes you have culled from your garden....give them to friends!
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