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Iris Dutch mix is a very beautiful bulbous plant that blooms in early summer. The crop is easy to grow in a summer cottage or even urgently put out in a pot if you know the basic care requirements.
General description of Dutch iris
The Dutch iris, or Iris hollandica, belongs to the Iris family of the same name and is a perennial plant with an underground bulb up to 7 cm tall. Each year, one long stem up to 80 cm with smooth oblong leaves grows from the tuber.
The flowers of the Dutch iris are also single, reach 8 cm in diameter, and depending on the variety, they can be red, white, blue, yellow or two-colored. They are slightly reminiscent of orchids in shape, consisting of 6 petals, with 3 of them pointing upward and the remaining 3 hanging down.
Dutch iris is used to form colorful flower beds in late spring
The perennial blooms from mid-May to mid-June and usually lasts about 14 days. After the buds wither, the underground thin roots of the iris also die. However, the plant bulb remains suitable for use; with proper processing, it accumulates useful substances and produces a peduncle again the next year.
Varieties and varieties of Dutch irises
Dutch bulbous irises are represented by dozens of hybrid varieties. In terms of growing requirements, the varieties are very similar, but the differences are in the color of the buds and the size of the peduncles.
Blue Magic
A very beautiful variety of Dutch iris has a rich blue color of the petals, in the center of each of them there is an oblong yellow spot. Blue Magic can reach 60 cm in height and blooms profusely and en masse at the end of May.
Iris Blue Magic remains decorative until mid-June
Golden Beauty
The Golden Beauty variety produces smooth, straight peduncles up to 60 cm in height. The dense buds of the iris bloom at the end of May and turn into flowers with yellow petals, especially rich in the center and lighter at the edges.
Iris Golden Beauty goes well with other light and dark varieties in mixes
White Excelsior
The Dutch iris White Excelsior blooms in early June with large and delicate snow-white buds. A bright yellow elongated vein is noticeable in the central part of the petals. The height of the variety rises to 65 cm.
Iris White Excelsior looks especially impressive in sunny flowerbeds
Red Amber
Dutch iris Red Ember grows up to 60-70 cm above ground level. The color of the flowers is quite unusual, the upper petals are purple, and the lower petals are brownish with a yellow streak. The variety blooms at the end of May.
Iris Red Amber is valued for its noble rich shade
Symphony
The Symphony variety is considered one of the brightest and most spectacular Dutch irises. Its buds are bicolor, consisting of bright yellow and snow-white petals, the peduncle rises 65 cm above the ground. Flowering occurs in early June.
The Dutch iris Symphony is distinguished by its particularly large buds - up to 14 cm in diameter
Application in landscape design
Although the Dutch iris mix does not bloom for very long, it is very popular in garden plots. Most often it is used:
- as part of spring flower beds;
Irises look good in a separate flower garden and in combination with other perennials
- in artistic compositions;
Bright irises can be planted as a foreground against a background of conifers
- when decorating garden paths;
Iris can be planted on the sides of the path
- on the banks of reservoirs.
Iris is suitable for planting next to a pond or stream
Dutch iris mix can be used very successfully in continuous flowering beds. When the perennial fades, the space will not remain empty; the area will be decorated with buds of other plants.
Features of reproduction
When breeding Dutch iris mix on a plot, you must remember that it is a hybrid. This means that perennials can only be grown from bulbs or cuttings of rhizomes; they are usually sold in gardening stores.
Seed propagation for Dutch irises mix is not practiced. The method is very labor-intensive, but most often does not give results. Plants either do not germinate or bloom only after several years, and varietal characteristics are not preserved.
How to plant Dutch iris
Even beginners can grow Dutch iris mix on their property. It is important to choose the right timing and carry out the preparatory work without errors.
When can you plant Dutch irises?
Perennial flower stalks receive nutrients primarily from their own tuber. Therefore, it is best to plant Dutch bulbous iris in the fall, from the end of August until the last days of October. In cold soil, the plant will survive the winter and will delight you with abundant flowering in May.
Iris Dutch mix is best planted in autumn.
Planting Dutch bulbous iris in the spring in April or May is also allowed. But before harvesting, the tubers need to be kept in the cellar or refrigerator for at least 2-3 months. Then there is a chance to wait for flowering this season, although it will occur later than usual.
Site selection and soil preparation
Perennial irises love bright light, but do not respond well to direct sunlight. Therefore, the flowerbed must be laid out in an area with light shade. Dutch irises need nutritious and loose soil, with a neutral or alkaline pH level. The soil can be mixed with compost in equal proportions.
Before planting flowers in the selected area, dig the required number of holes about 20 cm deep and pour a little sand into their bottom, about a third. The distance between the holes should be 10-12 cm, otherwise the Dutch irises mix will interfere with each other.
Planting Dutch bulbous iris
The planting algorithm for Dutch bulbous iris mix looks like this:
- Before planting, the tubers are disinfected by placing them in a manganese solution for several hours. This will make the material more resistant to diseases.
- The prepared bulbs are lowered into planting holes and watered abundantly, and then sprinkled with sand and soil on top.
- If the Dutch iris mix is planted in the fall, then the flowerbed must be mulched with leaves or pebbles to insulate the tubers.
When planting in spring, do not use mulch; it will only interfere with the germination of flower stalks.
Sprouted Dutch irises mix are not completely covered with soil in the spring; the shoots should protrude above the ground
Caring for Dutch iris after planting
Caring for Dutch iris mix comes down to just a few simple manipulations:
- After planting, perennials are watered regularly, preventing the soil from drying out. It is also necessary to moisten the flowerbed in the fall, especially if the weather is dry, since when rooting, mixed irises consume a lot of nutrients. Watering should be continued throughout the entire active period, until the buds wither.
- In the spring, the Dutch iris mix is fed three times - with nitrogen fertilizers at the beginning of the growing season, potassium and phosphorus during budding and after flowering.
- As soon as the perennial wilts, watering will need to be stopped immediately. At this stage, the bulbs require dry rest, otherwise they may rot in the soil.
In order for mixed irises to bloom longer, they need to be watered abundantly and protected from the sun.
Mixed irises with cut flower stalks are left in the flower bed until their leaves begin to turn yellow and wither. Then the bulbs can be dug up immediately; there is no need to wait for the above-ground part to completely dry out. Theoretically, in a dry summer, the tubers can not be removed at all, but more often this is still done, since even in the absence of rain, the soil at depth can remain moist.
Bulb storage rules
After removing the iris bulbs from the flowerbed, the mix must be shaken off from remaining soil and disinfected in a manganese solution or Fundazol. Then they are sent to dry for 2-3 weeks at 20-25 ° C with good ventilation.
Dutch iris bulbs are removed from the soil to dry immediately after flowering.
Dried bulbs need to be sorted out, damaged and rotten material should be discarded. Healthy tubers are stored in a dark place with a temperature of 15 to 20 °C. Dutch irises should spend the rest of the summer in these conditions. In the fall, they can be planted in the ground again or sent for artificial home stratification.
Forcing Dutch iris by March 8
If desired, the Dutch iris mix can be made to bloom in early March, for International Women's Day. The bulbous perennial is suitable for urgent forcing in greenhouses or at home in pots:
- At the beginning of summer, iris bulbs are dug out of the flowerbed and stored for a month at temperatures up to 30 °C, and then another month at 20 °C.
- Then the tubers intended for forcing are transferred to a dark and cold place with a temperature of no more than 10 °C.
- Around December 25, the bulbs are planted in a greenhouse, boxes or pots and the temperature is maintained at 12 °C, and after a couple of weeks it is raised to 16 °C.
Iris Dutch mix is suitable for urgent forcing by March 8
If you create moderately warm conditions for the Dutch iris mix and provide it with at least 14 hours of daylight, then 2.5 months after planting the plant will begin to bloom.
Diseases and pests
Although Dutch mix irises remain in the soil only until the beginning of summer, even in such a short period they can be damaged by insects and fungi. Of the diseases that pose the greatest danger to crops:
- fusarium — you can recognize the disease by a grayish coating on the leaves and slower growth;
When infected with fusarium, the Dutch iris can rarely be saved; it is easier to remove it from the flowerbed
- wet rot — the fungus develops in early spring during the snow melting period and leads to rotting of the bulbs;
Wet rot especially often affects irises mix when overwatered.
- rust, the disease leaves unsightly brown-brown spots on the leaves of the perennial;
Rust stains iris leaves in spring at temperatures from + 10 ° C
Fungal diseases are very dangerous for Dutch mix irises because they are difficult to treat. The infected bulb quickly begins to rot, and the perennial dies completely. When the first signs appear, the flowerbed can be treated with Maxim, Topaz, Doxycycline and Triazole. However, it is better to fight fungi preventively and soak the bulbs in a fungicidal solution before planting.
Among the insects that most often harm the Dutch iris, they are:
- cutworm butterflies — their caterpillars eat up iris flower stalks from the inside;
Cutworm butterfly caterpillars begin feeding on Dutch iris in mid-June
- thrips - pests suck juices not only from leaves, but also from rhizomes;
Thrips usually hide in the axils of iris leaves.
- aphid - the insect eats the plant and also secretes mucus that is harmful to the perennial.
Aphids reproduce on iris in huge colonies and can destroy the plant.
To eliminate pests, use a solution of Karbofos or Actellik. You can preventively protect a flower bed from insects if you regularly loosen the soil, avoid waterlogging and get rid of weeds.
Conclusion
Iris Dutch mix is a spectacular and easy to grow flower. You can achieve maximum decorativeness if you remember the need for stratification for bulbous plants and follow the basic rules of care.
Reviews of Dutch iris
I love irises very much and always try to find a place for them in the garden. I usually plant bulbs in the fall, but twice I tried spring planting with pre-cooling in the cellar. The Dutch irises mix did bloom after it, but later than expected and not with such large buds as usual.
