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Bearded Iris

bigdowbigdow Posts: 3
in Problem solving

I have had a number of bearded iris in my garden for around 4 years.All flowered in their second year  but none flowered last nor have any flowered this year.

I keep the plot they are in well nourished - chicken pellets & manure early in the year followed by Fish,Blood & Bone in the spring.

Any suggestions as to a solution would be most welcome as the year they did flower they were magnificent to look at. 

Posts

  • Alina WAlina W Posts: 1,445

    They don't need feeding - they like poor, gritty compost. You are probably over-feeding them, hence no flowers.

    Another possibility - are the rhizomes covered? They need to be sitting almost completely on top of the soil, as they need to be baked by the sun to flower.

    Finally, are they shaded by anything? Again, shade will stop them flowering.

  • quercus_ruburquercus_rubur Posts: 334

    I'd also divide them. They should be divided every three or four years. As Alina has said if they're covered they won't flower - are they in the middle of a border? They really do need to get lots of sun to their rhizomes. I have mine on the edge of a border and they've flowered very well for the last 3 years. I'll be dividing them this year

  • gardeningfanticgardeningfantic Posts: 1,019

    yes dividing them is good.. i do mine every year and they always flower.. thou must state that is only the large clumps that i divide.. i have found that if i didnt do this they did not flower.. you must cut the leaves down when splitting so they dont get wind blown..  and as stated keep rhizomes up on top of soil so they can see the sun.. they do not like wet feet and boggy ground.. need no feeding at all.. just the sun (dont we all) and free draining soil..

    also sometimes they wont all flower first year of splitting.. some do some dont i have found in my experience.

    i love bearded irises and have gathered many.. i just run out of sun drenched border to put them in.,. thou they are in middle to back in borders where plants die down over winter and spring.. and htey do well also as get the sun when neededimage

  • LokelaniLokelani Posts: 112

    Mine stopped flowering a year or so ago & then one flowered again this year. I think I'd just pushed some of the gravel off it that had worked its way over the rhizome & weeded around them a bit last year.

    So as others say, that seems to be the answer.

  • bigdowbigdow Posts: 3

    Thanks to all.

     I think my problem was that the rhizones were not nearly exposed enough. I will both split and expose later in the year.

    Again my thanks

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