Evening star., 1942-06-14

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its activities. the life of an iris bee
Is a periodic cleaning out.
While the dividing and resetting
OF tall, intermediate and dwarf
bearded iris may be undertaken at
any time from mid-June to mid
September, it is real advantage to
do it early in the summer. The
earlier the better, for then the roots
have ample time to become re-
established and to have a longer
period in which to build up strength
and to develop flower buds. Earli-
ness is important in the purchase
of new rhizomes if you are to re-
ceive strong plants capable of flower
Ing the following season. Late sea-
son purchasers oftentimes receive
the small new growth which seldom
flowers until the second season.
In reworking the iris beds we are
often tempted to simply pull the
iris, to spade the soil deeply, per-
haps Incorporating a handful of
bone meal and then to reset the old
clump. Sometimes this will produce
good flowers for a year or two. If
the clump is free of iris borers this
may prove a satisfactory method.
However, most iris growers prefer
to remove the old clump, dig the
soil deeply, incorporating generous
quantities of compost or other forms
of humus. and then to divide the
clump resetting few rhizomes.
A really effective method consists
Of digging trench 6 to 10 inches
wide and just as deep. In the
bottom of the trench a layer of
well-rotted COW manure and leaves
(compost is spread. Bone meal
should be added to this mixture,
even though the compost contains
superphosphate and ammonium
sulphate. A 4-inch layer of this
material not only provides food but
1t stores moisture where the roots
may reach it. A generous supply
of moisture at Towering time is i'm
portant to the size and quality of
the flowers
Some gardeners incorporate lime
(ground limestone) when making
new beds. Iris do not require a
sweet soil but they do best in one
that is only slightly acid or neutral
Compost made with lime. ordinarily
provides all of the calcium needed
The soil removed in digging the
trench is replaced. making a sub
stantial ridge. This insures drain
age a most important consideration
to the health of iris. The three
types under consideration. tall-in-
termediate-and dwarf-bearded do
not thrive in wet situations. BY
mounding the soil and planting on
the ridge the bearded irises will
ordinarily thrive in moist soils. For
large iris paintings 1t is desirable
to provide ample drainage through
tile or by other means.
With the ridge prepared the next
step is the dividing of the iris
rhizomes discarding those that show
signs of disease. Where only small
plant is available one may cut out
the diseased part. dipping the
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some other disinfectant. Allow the
treated rhizome to lie in the sun
for a day or two before replanting.
The foliage should be cut back to
q third or half.
If there are borer signs-large
holes in the rhizomes. water-soaked
areas near the base of the leaves,
or ragged edges of leaves, then
the gardner should break the
rhizome apart until the worm is
found. They are quite laree-1 to
~ inches long. Disinfect the tun-
mel made by the borer before re-
planting.
In resetting the iris it is we'll OF
push the roots well down into the
soil, covering the rhizome. This
insures their being so we'll anchored
that there is little danger of "heav-
ting" during the winter. Too deep
planting is thus safer than too shall
low. The plants will grow up to the
surface of the soil, but not down into
1t.
While the above is the generally
recommended practice there are
other ways to handle small plant
ings. Some gardeners take a sharp
knife cutting off and removing older
rhizomes in the center Of the clump.
The soil is then reworked with a
trowel and such compost and plant
food as can be worked into the soil.
A single rhizome may be planted
In the center. This method has the
advantage of maintaining bloom,
whereas the method given above,
unless the rhizome divisions are
quite large, generally results In light
towering the following spring.
Where one has the space a few
rhizomes may be removed from an
established clump and planted in
a new location. This method has