The popularity of iris among gardeners is explained quite simply - this ornamental plant with beautiful large flowers can decorate any household plot. In addition, it is resistant to winter cold, can perfectly do without a special insulating shelter in open ground, grows well and develops on any type of soil.
Caring for iris does not require any complicated procedures. All this plant needs is timely top dressing and abundant watering, removal of ubiquitous weeds. Also, from time to time (about once every two or three years) an iris transplant should be carried out, as it grows very quickly, and the old part of the root system dies off. It is this process that we will describe in detail in this article.
When is the best time to transplant iris?
Many experienced gardeners transplant the plant in late summer or early autumn, after the flowering period is over. This approach allows flowers to take deep roots. Also autumn transplant prevents the extrusion of the root system, which worsens the vegetation.
However, if for some reason you did not have time to transplant the plant in September or early October, it is quite possible to do this in the spring. Moreover, the sooner the better, since planting too late can lead to the death of the root system. How to do it? You will learn about this from the instructions below.
The process of transplanting irises
If the roots of the plant are not damaged, it can be transplanted without any problems both in spring and at any other time of the year, regardless of the growing season. It is enough just to dig up the bushes along with clods of earth and move them to a new place. Otherwise, the process will be more complicated:
- first you need to carefully remove the bush from the ground, and then cut the rhizome into several sections up to 10 centimeters long. At the same time, pay attention to the fact that each such segment has several fully formed leaves and a bunch of roots, the length of which should not be more than 7 centimeters. They will help the newly created bush to be more firmly held in the soil until new roots appear;
- all rotted parts of the roots must be carefully removed without damaging the plant. After that, the remaining section of the rhizome must be disinfected. To do this, it is soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for one and a half to two hours to prevent any diseases;
- It is also advisable to trim the iris leaves a little, leaving a length of about 15 centimeters. Then it will be necessary to treat the sections with charcoal and dry the plant in the sun for 2.5-3 hours;
- planting a plant is carried out to a depth of no more than 3 centimeters. At the same time, it is important to ensure that its roots are directed exclusively down, and it itself is firmly held in the ground. To achieve this, compact the soil well around the planted section;
- the distance between the divisions should be at least 30-40 centimeters. Thanks to this, the plants will not interfere with each other to develop normally;
- transplantation ends with abundant watering. In this case, you need to try not to overmoisten the rhizome in order to prevent its decay. You can pour water into a special recess that breaks around the plant.
In the future, watering should be done approximately once every four days. After the moisture is well absorbed, and the surface of the soil dries out a little, it is advisable to perform mulching and loosening the soil.
How to choose the right place for a plant transplant
An important step in planting iris in the spring is right choice place for this plant. The first thing you need to pay attention to is lighting. Iris grows well in the shade, but in this case, flowering will not be so plentiful. Therefore, you need to choose areas that are generously illuminated by sunlight during the day.
- plants that tend to grow strongly over time. Five years after planting, a small bush can turn into a real tree. And, it would seem, there is nothing wrong with this phenomenon, if not for one “but” - large-sized irises practically do not bloom.
There is an opinion that transplanting irises is a thankless task, since in most cases the plant dies. But many years of gardening experience proves otherwise. If all the rules and terms for transplanting irises are observed, then the flower will continue to please the eye even after dividing the bush.
Irises reproduce quite well vegetatively, and in a new place after division they take root quickly. It is imperative to divide plants, since the rhizomes live for about five years, growing strongly. Over time, young plants that have grown in almost the same place begin to oppress each other. Crowding leads to a deterioration or disappearance of flowering, the decorative effect is noticeably reduced, and a “dead zone” is formed in the center of the bush. For this reason, susceptibility to diseases increases, and winter hardiness, on the contrary, decreases.
Transplant rulesEnd of summer - beginning of autumn best time when you can transplant irises in our latitudes. Two weeks after flowering, the plant is ready for division and transplantation. However, transplantation of irises is allowed in the fall. The answer to the question of whether it is possible to transplant irises in the spring, when the plant is at the initial stage of the vegetative period, will also be positive. If necessary, the iris, carefully dug out with a lump of "native" land, is transplanted into appropriate place. It is worth noting that the rhizomes of the plant are quite fragile, so damage should be avoided. This is especially true if the iris is transplanted in the spring, when the roots actively absorb moisture.
Segments-links of rhizomes, that is, annual growths, can reach ten centimeters in length, and their diameter is 3 centimeters. Digging up an old iris bush is done with a pitchfork, and the rhizomes are then divided into planting divisions, consisting of one or two annual fused links with leaf fans. These delenki should be soaked for two hours in a 0.2% solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect. Then they are dried in the sun.
After the delenki have dried up, they should cut the leaves so that water flows easily from them. The roots are shortened to ten centimeters in length. Large links of the rhizomes of the plant without living leaves and root processes, which remained after digging up the overgrown iris bush, can be planted again in the garden, so that sleeping buds will sprout on them a year later.
Helpful HintsIf you are the owner of plants of especially valuable rare varieties, and do not know how to properly transplant irises, then you should take care of in large numbers planting material. The fact is that when using the bud propagation method, you can get up to five dozen seedlings from one overgrown rhizome. To do this, the rhizomes dug out with a clod of earth are carefully washed, dried well, and then cut transversely into small pieces. In addition, each division should have one kidney and one or two roots. Sections of delenki are dried, and then powdered with charcoal powder. Iris delenki treated in this way are planted on beds, laying them in furrows no more than five centimeters deep. The interval between divisions must be at least ten centimeters. They are sprinkled with earth from above and watered abundantly. After a year, young shoots can already be transplanted to a permanent place.
Bearded irises are very popular. Numerous varieties bearded irises amaze the imagination with a variety of colors and shapes.It is believed that perennial irises are unpretentious flowers, but this statement is valid only when proper fit their rhizomes, choosing a favorable place and carefully preparing the soil.
Even if all the rules in care are observed, irises will bloom magnificently in one place for several years, after 3-4 years, perennial flowers need a transplant. During this time, the rhizome of the iris braids the entire surface of the earth, old and diseased areas appear on it, and there is no room for new layers to develop.
Thickened irises are quickly affected by diseases, especially in rainy weather, dense thickets are affected. root rot, which develops first in old areas, and then moves to young layers and shoots. The rotting rhizome of the iris emits an unpleasant odor, the leaves of the plant turn yellow and die, sometimes the apparently healthy thick root inside becomes soft and turns into a light brown jelly-like mass. Maintain irises in healthy timely transplantation of flowers with rejuvenation and division of rhizomes will help.
Transplantation of irises can be started after 2-4 weeks, when they fade . If you were busy during the summer then transplant irises not late in autumn in September. It is not recommended to replant irises later, as the plants do not have time to establish themselves in the soil and when freezing, wet soil can push the planted rhizomes to the surface. Irises are frost-resistant flowers, only in snowless winters can the tops of rhizomes that peek out of the ground freeze slightly, but the iris rhizome rarely dies completely from frost.
Rules for planting irises:
1. Saves starch from iris rhizome from frost, however, its high content in root tissues also has a downside. In a damp place, the rhizome of the iris is prone to decay, therefore, for planting irises, it is necessary to choose a place with loose, breathable soil.. It is good if the area where the irises grow is on a hill, then water will not accumulate on it after the snow or rain melts.
Can't stand wet places bearded irises . Siberian irises love moisture, but rot when water stagnates. For planting in a place where the earth is constantly wet, for example, near the shore of a reservoir, only marsh iris or ugly iris is suitable.
2. The second rule for planting irises is choice sunny place . You can plant irises on the south side of buildings or areas with light partial shade in the afternoon. The more sun the iris receives, the better it will grow and bloom.
3. When transplanting irises, you cannot dig them up, divide the rhizome and plant them in the same place. Change the planting site of irises, on the new soil they will develop better and get sick.
4. When planting irises, it is important to prepare the soil well. The earth is dug up, all weeds are selected, humus, sand and wood ash. The presence of a drainage layer of coarse sand or pebbles will protect the rhizomes from decay. To do this, the fertile layer of earth is removed on the bayonet of the shovel, drainage is poured a few centimeters and the excavated earth mixed with humus is returned back.
Irises prefer soil that is neutral or slightly acidic, so it is useful to add wood ash before planting., it reduces the acidity of the soil and saturates it with the necessary nutrients.
The process of transplanting irises:
1. First, dig up the entire rhizome of the iris., it grows on the surface of the soil. Clean the rhizome from the ground, long roots can be shortened a little.
2. A large tuberous rhizome is divided into parts. Old and diseased areas are removed, young healthy layers with one or two growth points are left for planting. Delenki must be cut clean sharp knife in the narrowed part. Sections are dried in the sun for a couple of hours.
3. Delenki are cleaned of dried and yellowed leaves, they can be a source of infection, as they quickly rot. Green leaves are cut at a height of 10-15 cm.
4. For planting irises, holes or trenches are dug, and a mound is poured in the center.
5. Iris delenki are placed at the top of the mound, and the roots are spread along the slope so that they point inward. The rhizome should be located at the very surface, it is sprinkled with earth no more than 1-2 cm from above.
6. When group planting, iris delenki are placed in a row at a distance of 20-30 cm, and about 50 cm are left between rows. In order for irises to form a curtain in the first year, you can plant more densely, but then irises are transplanted more often than after 4 years. When planting in a row, irises are directed with "heads" in one direction..
Care of irises after planting:
1. Watering irises after planting is necessary for rooting delenok 1-2 times a week in dry weather. In late autumn, they stop watering irises, it’s good if the ground dries out before frost.
2. In the first year after planting, irises need shelter. However, the shelter for irises must be safe, when falling asleep with straw or dry leaves, the rhizomes can rot. It is better to mulch the planted irises with a layer of up to 10 cm with peat or dry earth. It is good to cover irises with spruce branches, its branches hold back the snow that will reliable protection from frost in winter.
In the spring, as soon as the snow melts, the poured additional layer of earth or peat is removed so that the tubers dry out faster and warm up under the sun.
In the second year after planting, strong and rooted irises do not need shelter for the winter.
3. In the spring of May, when the irises begin to grow new leaves, feed the flowers nitrogen fertilizer , but organic fertilizers use is not recommended, as they provoke the development of diseases. During and after flowering, irises require phosphorus-potassium fertilizer.
4. Irises should be watered only during the period of releasing peduncles and opening flowers. if there is no rain. After flowering, irises are not watered, even if the weather is dry.
5. After flowering of irises, yellowed peduncles should be broken to the ground, if they are cut off the remaining stumps rot and the disease can go to the rhizome.
6. In autumn, before frosts, iris leaves are cut at a height of 10-15 cm.. Delicate modern varieties are mulched with peat or dry earth, covered with spruce branches.
An important stage in the cultivation of bearded irises is the division of old plants and transplantation of irises in the summer after flowering. How to do it right? The answer is in this article.
When can irises be transplanted?
This is best done when the plant begins to grow new roots. As a rule, this happens a couple of weeks after the end of the flowering process of irises. At this time, the plant must be dug up, trying not to touch the horizontal thick rhizomes. At the same time, the roots that extend from them do not have to be preserved, since they will not fully function, but are needed only for the plant to gain a foothold in the soil.
division of irises
If the iris bush is very overgrown and old, then you should choose the largest fans, while leaving about 3 pieces in each division. The roots are cut so that about 10 cm remains. The direct cut on the root must be rubbed with charcoal or burned with brilliant green, dusting with ash is also allowed. After this, it is required to give a little time for the wound to dry out, for this the delenka is left in the shade for several hours. It should be noted that bearded irises are able to withstand quite a long drying. They do not need to be wrapped in wet rags, packed with polyethylene. It is in this feature to endure prolonged drying that the difference between bearded irises and Siberian irises, which cannot endure even a short-term drying of the roots, lies. Therefore, transplanting irises in the summer is very convenient.
You also need to trim the fan of leaves, after trimming, about 1/3-1/4 of the leaf should remain.
Landing delenok
The next step will be landing, during which two main points must be taken into account:
After planting, all the soil around the plant needs to be pressed well, this will help the irises to better gain a foothold. As you can see, there is nothing complicated in dividing and transplanting irises in the summer. By the way - the end of summer is a great time for sharing and
One of the most popular and resistant plants is considered iris. He long time pleases the eye not only at the time of flowering, but also after, thanks to its beautiful foliage. Every experienced gardener and the florist knows that irises, if they are not transplanted correctly, may lose their former beauty, so this moment must be treated with special attention.
When is the best time to transplant irises?
- do it regularly, at least once every 5 years;
Important point: if you do it less often, then the roots will begin to rise outward, preventing full development and flowering.
- be sure to carefully choose a landing site, it should be on the sunny side, protected from wind and excess moisture;
- spend preparations with the future: remove weeds, add humus (you can compost), put sand on the chosen place.
Transplanting is possible in spring and autumn, but with the first option:
- damage to the roots due to temperature changes and the possibility of heavy precipitation is not ruled out;
Advice: spring is more applicable to the southern regions.
- The best time is from the end of April to the beginning of May. However, everything is relative, for some areas, in particular the southern ones, you can start doing this a little earlier, and for middle lane, vice versa. There are no clear time frames, you need to focus only on the weather.
Interesting fact: It has been noted that irises that are transplanted on May holidays bloom faster than April ones.
Autumn:
- possible damage to unattached roots as a result of the first frost (if the time for planting is incorrectly calculated);
- the ideal period is from early September to October;
Note: Everything is relative, depending on the climate.
Interesting moment: most flower growers prefer to carry out all activities in the autumn, noting more intense flowering and disease resistance in the future.
Transfer
spring
During a transplant in the spring, the main points to consider are:
- dig up the plant with extreme caution, since the roots are the most fragile during this period, there should be no damage;
- dig only together with a clod of earth;
- should not be planted if the soil is frozen, otherwise the plant may not survive.
Advice: try to keep as much of your native land as possible.
- don't forget about feeding.
Transplant steps:
- A healthy and strong bush is necessarily dug up.
- The rhizome is thoroughly cleaned from the ground.
- Rotten and damaged roots are removed.
- Leaves are cut.
Advice: it is better to shorten them exactly 2 times.
- Dry leaves are removed
- A decontamination procedure is underway. To do this, the plant is placed in a special potassium solution, on average for 20 minutes.
- It is removed from the solution, transferred to a dry surface and dried thoroughly
- Processed with charcoal
- A hole is dug, the iris is placed in it and buried.
Important point: it is impossible to lower the roots very deeply, because they will quickly rot and the plant will die. It is optimal that the top of the roots stick out a little.
- The leaves are carefully straightened.
- water infrequently and a little;
Note: Otherwise, the plant will not take root.
- if it suddenly gets colder cover the plant.
autumn
When choosing a suitable month for such an action, it is necessary to take into account that:
- the iris should bloom completely;
- the rhizome should have time to be well fixed in the soil, therefore, frosts should not be expected in the near future;
- in November (for the northern and central regions earlier) cover the plant with a blanket.
Note: it is removed only when the snow has completely melted. Further, the soil is well loosened, the leaves look (if necessary, the bad ones are removed) and fertilizers are added.
Important point: a few weeks before the expected date of digging, exclude all top dressing.
Transplant stages in the fall:
- First, you need to carefully loosen the earth;
- Add required amount minerals;
Advice: they need to be purchased at a flower shop, always of a type that is suitable for a particular area. Do not add organic substances, especially for the southern regions.
- Remove the rhizome from the soil with a pitchfork or shovel, shorten the leaves;
- Disinfect in solution, dry.
Note: the solution is the same as for spring planting.
- Land in a prepared place, water.
Note: if you transplant rhizomes, then unlike seeds, they will sprout in a year. This method is suitable for any variety of irises - wild and decorative.
Closer to the onset of cold weather, you need:
- slightly loosen the soil;
- put humus;
- make a layer of sawdust on top.
Important point: the latter is applicable only for the northern regions or abnormally cold autumn.
Transplant methods
There are several ways, each grower determines the appropriate one, guided by the characteristics of the soil and the characteristics of the plant.
Main ways:
- The bush is dug out completely:
- using a shovel, the rhizome is removed from the ground. It is important not to damage anything;
- cleared;
- leaves are cut;
Note: many leave only up to 10 cm in length.
- roots are shortened to 3 cm;
- they lie out for 2 days, after they land.
- Partial excavation:
- a bush is dug with a shovel;
- the required number of stems is separated;
Advice: A sharp knife is more suitable for this.
- landed in a prepared place.
If damage to the rhizome is found during digging, then such a plant is not suitable for partial transplantation.
Prevention of diseases during transplantation
In order to avoid any diseases, and in iris it is most often the roots or leaves that rot, preventive measures are necessary:
Note: half a gram of Confidor is added to 5 liters of water, then the leaves are carefully sprayed.
Blitz Tips:
- you should not delay the transplant for a long time, lost time can negatively affect his health in the future or even lead to death;
- it is better to carry out all work in the morning;
- planting irises is no closer than 50 cm from each other;
- strictly follow all recommendations for disease prevention;
- do the treatment in a timely manner.