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HAPPENSTANCE TB
image © Ted Baker
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by Ted Baker
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A
colourful display of Border Bearded iris.
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Image © Ted Baker
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AS
WELL AS COMING IN ALL COLOURS except fire engine red, bearded
iris also come in all sizes - from the Dwarfs, which can be
as short as 10 cm (4 inches), to the Talls, which can grow
to over 105 cm (42 inches). They
also bloom at different times during
April, May and June in BC. To
make sense of the different heights, conformation, and bloom
times, bearded iris have been divided into various types. This
gives gardeners the opportunity to select the type that will
best suit their needs. The
following is a brief description of the types.
Miniature Dwarf Bearded
[MDB] are up to 20 cm (8 inches) tall. These little ones bloom the earliest
and are great for the alpine or rock garden, or front of the border. But
remember, they are small and can easily be overgrown by other plants,
including weeds. They usually have one or two blooms per stock but have
a wonderful colour range and as with other bearded iris most are fragrant.
Standard Dwarf Bearded
(SDB) range in size from 20 cm (8 inches) to 41 cm (15 inches). These
are the next to bloom and the colour range is exceptional. They literally
give you carpets of colour. The bud count is usually about three but can
be higher. They make a wonderful show when mixed with early flowering
bulbs. For me, they are very floriferous and disease resistant. But, as
we get our share of slugs it is important to control the slugs or the
leaves and even the flowers can be damaged. A late evening walk with a
flashlight and a sharp stick is good. There are also other ways to attack
slugs but recently I have used Safer's Slug Bate. It will not harm wildlife
or pets as the active ingredient is iron which prevents the slugs from
producing slime. And you only need to sprinkle it sparingly in the infected
area. The only problem I have had with it is that the quail think that
I am feeding them! Our quail love it so I put the bait out in the evening
or when the quail are visiting the neighbours.
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A
planting of Intermediate Bearded iris, including LENORA
PEARL, FRIDAY BLUES and BATIK.
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Image © Ted Baker
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Intermediate Bearded
(IB) range in size from 41 cm (15 inches) to 70 cm (28 inches). They bloom
between the SDBs and the Tall Bearded iris so they help to give a wonderful
continuous iris bloom in your garden. What is great about the shorter
iris is that they never seem to blow over, even in the strongest winds.
This means you do not have to worry about staking. Because of their time
of bloom, general disease resistance, good colour range and sturdy plant
form the IBs are some of my favourites.
Miniature Tall Bearded
(MTB) are similar in height to the IBs and the BBs and bloom starting
with the IBs but last longer because of the higher bud count. They have
thin, tough stems with branching and small flowers that cover the clump.
They are often called Table Iris as they make a good cut flower. Border
Bearded (BB) are similar in size to the IBs. BBs are also similar in many
other ways to the IBs but bloom at the same time as the Tall Bearded iris.
As with the IBs they do well near the front to midsection of the border.
Tall Bearded (TB)
range in size from 70 cm (27 inches) and over. TBs are considered by many
to be 'the Queens' of the iris garden and they continue to be the most
popular of the bearded irises. They are tall, stately, have large to huge
flowers and demand attention. In the past a short bloom season has been
one of the main reasons people did not grow these wonderful plants, and
that used to be true. I can remember my Grandmother's iris and they had
about three buds per stock and in a week the bloom was finished. However,
hybridizers have changed that and now many varieties boast from nine to
14 buds per stock with double and triple sockets. Some varieties also
send up a sequence of stocks which prolong the bloom season. I have had
some clumps show colour for a month. With rain and high winds, these tall
plants can blow over. However, most of the good, newer varieties stand
up very well. A field of TBs in full bloom is certainly a stunning sight.
So the next time you
are selecting plants for your garden, remember the range of heights and
bloom times of bearded iris so you can pick the plants that best meet
your needs.
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A garden
bed with Standard Dwarf Bearded iris.
Image © Ted Baker
Selecting
a Site and Preparing the Soil for Bearded Iris
Bearded iris
are relatively easy to grow but, like all plants, certain requirements
need to be met to have healthy plants that bloom well. However,
if you have a system that works for you keep using it and share
it with others.
When selecting
a site, two main criteria should be considered. First, the site
needs to have at least six hours of sunlight each day during the
growing season. This is the minimum amount of light that your
iris need to produce flowers. The more sun the plants get the
better. Second, the soil must be well drained. Bearded iris do
not like to be in standing water. Too much wetness can cause soft
rot of the rhizomes. If there is a heavy rain some of my plants
are in standing water for a short time but within a couple of
hours it has drained away and this has not caused any problems.
Difficult drainage can be fixed by building a raised bed or planting
on a slope. However, check the soil on the slope during the wet
season to make sure the site is not water logged to the surface.
Some soils high in clay do not drain well and need to have organic
matter added which will help to improve the texture of the soil
and allow the water to drain away. Other soils that are high in
sand drain very quickly and added organic matter helps to retain
moisture. Another thing that can be a concern with all perennial
plants is locating them too close to trees where the tree roots
rob the iris of water and nutrients.
In addition
to rot, bearded iris can be subject to leaf spot. This is a fungal
disease that appears as a tiny brown spot on the leaf and then
enlarges as a watery ring around the spot and as it ages the entire
spot turns brown. It is not lethal but detracts form the appearance
of the plant. The best way to deal with leaf spot is to prevent
it. Start with disease free plants. Plants bought from a reputable
grower have been treated to ensure that you do not bring any disease
into your garden. If you get plants from a friend or plant sale
where you are unsure about how disease free they are then wash
any soil off the roots and soak the plants in a 10% bleach solution
for 15 minutes.
As with roses,
it is better to have your iris scattered throughout your garden
rather than in an iris bed. I have friends who have gotten iris
from me about 12 years ago and their plants are still disease
free. You can have a recurring problem if your neighbours have
diseased plants so consider this and leave as much room as you
can between your iris and theirs. Now that you have selected where
you are going to plant your iris it is time to check the soil.
I have previously mentioned the need to check the drainage and
the effect that organic matter has on soil structure and subsequently
soil drainage. Lots of organic matter also helps to retain and
supply nutrients. Iris are heavy feeders, especially during rapid
spring growth. At this time they need an abundant and constant
supply of food. I prepare a bed or a place for a clump of iris
by removing and setting aside about 10 cm (four inches) of soil.
I then dig in about a quarter to a third, by volume, of organic
matter. This can be anything organic that has been well aged or
composted. You can also add some super phosphate at this time
and lime if you soils are too acidic.
Bearded iris
prefer a soil pH that is just slightly acidic or about 6.8. However,
our soil has a pH of about 5.7 which is quite acidic but I have
found that the iris adapt very well so I do not use lime. Dig
and mix the enriched soil to a depth of 18 inches for the Tall
Bearded iris; 12 inches for the Border, Intermediate, and Miniature
Tall, and about 10 inches for the Standard Dwarfs. Then place
the original four inches of soil that you set aside back on top.
The four inches of ’poor’ soil will keep the rhizomes from coming
in contact with the organic matter which can cause rot. Now you
are ready to plant.
.JPG)
SEASON
TICKET Intermediate Bearded.
Image © Ted Baker
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Ted
Baker loves growing, showing and enjoying plants! He worked in the
research branch of the Ministry of Forests for over 25 years and retired
from that job about eight years ago. He and his wife Sonja moved to their
farm on Salt Spring Island in 1975 and they have been growing things (plants,
animals, four children) ever since. The
garden is a mix of rhododendrons, other shrubs and perennials, including
roses, phlox, peonies, iris, lilies, and Michaelmas daisies (asters).
They have gradually been growing more and more bearded iris in an unfenced
area of the garden, as the island deer don’t seem to have a taste for
them. The Bakers' garden is currently an official Siberian Iris Society
Display garden.
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