How to find the best Bearded Iris for your cutting garden — CMD (2024)

FAQs

What are the best bearded irises for cut flowers? ›

Bearded Iris 'Ambroisie'

'Ambroisie' is one of the tallest bearded iris varieties you can grow. It is perfect for a cottage garden border and also a cut flower garden, as it offers a long vase life.

Coarse, fast-draining soil is ideal for bearded iris. Consider planting them at the edge of a sidewalk or in a poor, gravely area. Cutting Gardens Bearded iris are outstanding cut flowers.

An ample amount of water is necessary to keep iris plants happy. While they can tolerate drought, they're happier in moist, well-draining soil. Overwatering, or allowing the soil to get soggy, can cause root rot. While the soil doesn't need to be anything special, it does need to be well draining.

Position. Whether planted in the ground or in pots, plant Iris bulbs in full sun with free draining soil for best performance. There more sun the better, a minimum of 6 hours is best. Lack of sun can affect flowering.

Iris 'Beverly Sills' (Bearded Iris)

Award-winning Iris 'Beverly Sills' is one of the most popular Tall Bearded Irises and this is well deserved. How not to resist the wide and perfectly formed flowers with their lacy, coral pink petals and tangerine beard?

The best time to harvest iris stems is in the early morning or in the evening after the sun has gone down. Of course, this is true of all flowers. The sun exhausts the moisture within the flowers during the hottest part of the day. If harvested in the middle of the day, stems will be less firm and flowers less vibrant.

Bearded Irises are some of the most popular perennials in gardens throughout the world, and we're not surprised! The endless array of colors and sizes makes them a versatile and show-stopping element of any garden. They are loved by many because they are easy to grow, deer-resistant, they multiply each year.

Iris are exotic blooms with graceful petals unfolding in jewel tones of amethyst, citron, and pure white. They add an exotic touch to bouquets, centerpieces, and corsages. With the right care, iris should last for 5 to 7 days.

The hole should be about 10 inches in diameter and about 4 inches deep. Form a mound of soil in the center of the hole for the planting base. The rhizome should be placed on this mound—high enough so the top of the rhizome is slightly above soil level.

We highly recommend a three to five gallon container to maintain these large plants. Soil: Use a good potting mix. We use Miracle-Grow Potting Mix six month's continuous plant food. Plant so that the rhizome is covered by one half to one inch of potting soil.

What month is best to plant irises? ›

For best results, Iris should be planted in July, August or September. It's imperative that the roots of newly planted Iris be well-established before the growing season ends. In areas with hot summers and mild winters, September or October planting may be preferred.

High-nitrogen fertilizers like those used to fertilize grass encourage only green leafy growth. They do not encourage flowering. Give the irises a 5-10-10 fertilizer. This means that the fertilizer should contain 5% nitrogen, 10% phosphate, and 10% potash.

Generally, bearded irises are planted 12-18 inches apart, with the fan of leaves facing the same direction. If you have multiple cultivars, plant the different types in groups of three to seven rhizomes. After planting, water your iris and keep the soil moist (but not too wet) until new leaves begin to emerge.

It will NOT stay on permanently. Now lay the “keeper” rhizomes aside in a shaded location, a garage or cool shed is a good storage area, while the planting beds or plant- ing holes are readied. It will not damage the prepared rhizomes to remain out of the ground for two weeks.

The bearded iris is identified by thick, bushy “beards” on each of the falls (lower petals) of the blossoms. Most of these types are native to central and southern Europe. Beardless iris does not have the “beard” and mainly originated in Asia.

Iris flowers have an average vase life of 3-5 days. Ambient temperature is a major factor affecting overall vase life performance.

Make angled cuts with clean, sharp garden shears or a sharp knife, which is my preferred tool for cutting thick stems. Then place the stems in water. The buds should open in about 1 to 2 days. For a longer vase life, you need to recut each stem daily or every other day.

Whilst we love the look of our iris in the garden, they make spectacular cut flowers in a vase inside and keep for up to 2 weeks. Here a few handy tips to ensure you get the most out of your indoor iris displays. Keep an eye on iris flowers in your garden, and pick them just as the top flower is starting to unfurl.

With the right care, iris should last for 5 to 7 days. Upon arriving home, follow a few simple steps to get the most out of your blooms: When you get home, stand the wrapped flowers in water so they can get a good drink while you're getting the vase ready.