Summer is at its peak, and most bearded irises are showing their colorful heads. It's time to sit back and savor the sheer bliss only iris blooms can offer. It's also time to take care of a few little tasks that will go a long way in keeping your iris beds bright for as long as possible. Here's how to care for your bearded irises after they've bloomed.
Prune Iris
Grab your best
pruning shears and cut back the spent flower stalks near the plant's base. Let the green foliage be, but remove all dead, damaged leaves, cutting back at the base of the plant. Also trim out the dead leaf tips. Dispose of the cut debris away from the garden -“ leaving spent leaves in the beds can attract bugs. The foliage can be cut up to 10 inches above the soil.
Fertilize Iris
Light
fertilization in the summer bodes well for your iris plants' health. You can use bone meal, 6-10-10 and other standard low nitrogen
fertilizers to feed your irises. Nitrogen-rich fertilizers can promote rot in iris plants and are therefore unsuitable for your plants.
Weed Iris Plants
Weeds and grasses, left unchecked, will overwhelm your iris beds in little time. Hand weeding, performed on a weekly basis, is usually enough to keep weeds in check. Simply dig out any weeds you come across, making sure you remove them from the root.
With the number of long-blooming -“ and even reblooming! -“ iris varieties, you should be able to enjoy your
iris plants all summer. With just a little care, they'll look pristine all through the season!
A little work can keep your iris beds from looking overgrown!
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