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Perennial irises are frequent guests in flower beds. You can meet them in gardens, parks and public gardens; these plants are used by landscape designers and ordinary amateur gardeners who like the variety of species, varieties and colors. There are few reasons why irises do not bloom. These perennials are unpretentious and undemanding in care, so their lack of flowering is rare, however, sometimes it happens.
Features of iris flowering
There are a huge number of irises - several tens of thousands of different varieties and hybrids. They differ from each other, including in terms of flowering time. Irises also have peculiarities in the structure of the flower itself. The tubular perianth consists of 6 petals fused at the base. In this case, 3 of them are bent down, and the other 3 are raised up. In the specialized literature, these types of petals have their own names - fouls and standards.
Flowers differ from other species in their special structure.
Depending on the shade, irises are divided into several groups into which species with characteristic coloring characteristics are combined: one or two colors, the nature of the color, its intensity.
The shape of the petals can also be different, depending on this the following classification is adopted:
- Classic.
Classic flower shape - fouls pointing downwards
- Semi-floating.
The semi-floating flower has foils located at an angle
- Floating.
The foils of the floating flower are directed horizontally
The petals of Japanese species have a “floating” shape
The perianth lobes themselves are also divided into 3 types, depending on the edge of the petal:
- Straight, or strict style.
Strict style flowers have a smooth edge of the petals
- Corrugated.
Corrugated types have a wavy edge of the petals
- Lacy, or bubble - the petal plate has openwork curls, the edge looks foamed.
Lace types are especially decorative
In addition, there are 2 large groups of irises:
- bearded;
A strip of hair on the petals is a distinctive feature of bearded varieties
- beardless.
There are no villi on the flower of beardless subspecies
The former got their name for the presence of a characteristic path of hairs on the outer perianth lobes, while the latter do not have it.
When do irises bloom, in what month?
Ultra-early varieties of irises (according to the international classification they have the designation VE) bloom already at the end of April. These are short, dwarf and miniature species.Then, in May-June, buds appear on larger border varieties. The latest, tallest irises, classified VL, bloom in July.
How long do irises bloom?
The flowering period of irises depends on many factors, including natural (climate, weather conditions) and artificial (planting site, soil characteristics, care). Under normal conditions, flowering lasts 10-14 days.
List of reasons why iris does not bloom and what to do
If the iris does not bloom in due time, you must definitely pay attention to this. There may be several reasons for the lack of buds. They are associated with planting and care, as well as with some natural causes beyond human control.
Incorrect variety selected
Incorrect selection of iris varieties for planting may well affect their flowering. To prevent this from happening, you should definitely purchase zoned varieties, as well as those that are suitable for the specific conditions of the site. For example, moisture-loving marsh or Siberian irises should be planted near water; for alpine slides it is better to choose dwarf bearded species.
Weather
Often the reason for the lack of flowering in irises is the weather. This is especially true in areas with an unfavorable climate. Iris blooms poorly after a cold, rainy spring due to return frosts.
Too wet and cold weather can cause irises to lack flowers.
In some cases, prolonged rains or, conversely, severe drought can lead to the fact that plants do not have enough strength to fully form buds. Due to the abundance of moisture, the roots may suffer; due to their rotting, the nutrition of the above-ground parts of irises is disrupted. The same can happen if there is a shortage of water, especially during budding.
Violation of landing rules
Wrong choice of location or violations made when planting irises are the most common reasons for the lack of flowers in these plants. It must be remembered that for planting these perennials you need to choose sunny, wind-protected places with loose, well-drained soil. If, for example, after construction on the site a flowerbed falls into the shade, then due to lack of lighting the flowering will weaken significantly, and in some cases it may not be possible at all. If this is the only problem why irises don’t bloom, then it can be solved by transplanting the plants to a more suitable place.
Proper planting is the key to future flowering of irises
Another reason why iris does not bloom is excessive deepening of the rhizomes during planting or replanting. When carrying out such work, they should be placed almost on the surface, so that the growth buds, together with the upper ridge of the root, are above the ground level. If the rhizomes are deeply buried, then they should be partially dug up, exposing the top of the root.
Violation of the rules of care
Although irises are unpretentious, they still require some care. If you plant flowers and then leave them to their fate, they may not bloom.
Violation of the watering schedule
Most irises do not like excessive soil moisture and perceive excess moisture negatively, with the exception of certain species. Too frequent and abundant watering will contribute to the development of root rot, and this can lead not only to the absence of flowers, but also to the death of the plant itself. Irises are more tolerant of hot weather, but at this time they need watering, especially when the plants are in the bud formation phase and during flowering periods.
Lack of nutrition
Irises grow quite quickly, absorbing a lot of useful substances from the ground. If you do not apply additional fertilizers, the soil fertility will very soon decrease to such an extent that the plant will not be able to “feed” the developing buds and will begin to shed them.
Irises need periodic feeding
To prevent this from happening, irises are fed several times during the season with complex potassium-phosphorus fertilizers, and in the spring - also with nitrogen fertilizers if there is a growth deficiency. However, nitrogen fertilizing should be used with caution. Its excess can lead to irises not blooming and the plants having only leaves.
Lack of shelter in winter
Not all varieties and types of irises tolerate harsh Russian winters well. Only a small part of them can winter without shelter. In order for the plants to survive the winter, they are covered with non-woven material, covered with dry leaves and spruce branches, and houses are made of slate or roofing felt, which are subsequently covered with snow. If this is not done, then the flower buds of most types of irises may freeze severely and die, this will lead to the fact that the plant will grow, but buds will not appear.
Need for transplant
The reason why irises do not bloom may be due to high planting density. Over time, these perennials grow greatly, their rhizomes increase significantly in size and literally grow on top of each other. Great competition forces plants to spend all their energy only on growing greenery; in this case, flowering may not happen.
Approximately once every 4 years, iris rhizomes are divided and planted
To avoid this situation, approximately once every 4 years, irises are dug out of the ground, the rhizomes are divided into parts and planted.
Pests and diseases
In unfavorable conditions, various fungal diseases begin to develop especially quickly, which can not only cause the absence of flowers, but also the death of the plant. Weakened irises become prey to insect pests, the presence of which also negatively affects flowering. To protect flowers from diseases, plantings are periodically treated with fungicides, for example, Bordeaux mixture. Insect pests are controlled using insecticides, treating flowers in accordance with the instructions for the product used.
Fungal diseases can lead to the death of the entire plant
How to make irises bloom
To make irises bloom, you need to clearly find out the reason why this did not happen. First of all, you need to check the location of the bed and the depth of the rhizomes; sometimes it is enough to dig them up a little in order to get abundant flowering next year.It would be a good idea to clarify whether the variety is suitable for cultivation in a particular region; you may have to completely update the planting material.
To find the best place for irises, you can arrange several flower beds in different parts of the garden.
It is advisable to experimentally determine the best location, optimal soil composition, and try out various care options. If you take this seriously, then, as a rule, the cause of weak flowering or its complete absence can be quickly found and eliminated.
Conclusion
There are not many reasons why irises do not bloom. If you follow all the recommendations for growing these perennials, then you may not encounter such a situation at all. If there is no flowering of irises for a long period, then you need to seriously deal with this, analyze the reasons and draw appropriate conclusions.
