Siberian Iris Culture

Siberian Iris makes a wonderful addition to any garden. Of the iris, Siberian is the easiest to grow, because they are more adaptable. They prefer a slightly acidic, moist soil and at least six hours of sun. Do not add lime to the soil, as Siberian Iris may decline and/or die, since they prefer acidic soil.

Your new iris will be wrapped and packed to keep the roots moist. Remove packing and soak your new bare root divisions in a pail of water for several hours. If you cannot plant right away they may be left soaking for a day or two.  Do not let the roots dry out, this will cause stress to your new plant.

When planting mix compost and peat moss into the bottom soil, and make a mound to set the rhizome on with the roots into the hole. Plant the rhizome 1½ to 2½ inches below the surface. When filling in the remaining hole mixing the soil with compost. Mulching your new plant acts not only as a weed barrier, but helps retain moisture and keep the roots cooler.

Fertilizer should not be applied for several weeks, allowing the plant to establish new roots. The best time to fertilize is early spring with a well balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) and again after bloom. You can also use water soluble Miracid as a foliar feed.

As with all perennials the first year care is the most important. This helps establish the plant with a good root system. Siberian iris should be kept moist, especially after planting. If there is not enough rainfall, they should be given about an inch of water a week.

Key

In parentheses:

Hybridizer - siberian iris creator & year of registration

Next is height of scape (bloom stalk)

Bloom time:

E – early

EM – early midseason

M - midseason

ML – late midseason

L – late