Content
Growing irises does not cause much trouble. They begin to bloom the very next year, immediately becoming the main decoration of the garden. Irises reproduce easily; they quickly take root after division and planting.
Peculiarities of iris propagation
Dividing the bush must be done every 3-5 years, otherwise the flower will become smaller
Tools for work must be clean. The place is dug up and freed from weeds, as they oppress the flowers and block sunlight, which contributes to poor growth.
Iris is propagated 2-3 weeks after flowering. The procedure is carried out in dry weather. The separated fragments are planted in well-drained soil. Irises do not like rich soil and do not bloom in it, and excessively moist soil leads to rotting of the rhizomes.
It is recommended to place the seedlings in the hole with their roots facing south so that they are warmed up by the sun as much as possible. This promotes the appearance of young buds, which can be used to propagate iris in a few years.
How do garden irises reproduce?
When choosing a method for propagating irises, it is important to consider the purpose of the procedure. To propagate flowers, it is better to use the vegetative method, because... the crop will bloom next year. The generative method (sowing seeds) is used to develop a new variety or domesticate wild species. In this case, flowering will occur in 2-3 years.
The vegetative method includes:
- rhizome division;
- budding;
- propagation by sprouts and root cuttings.
Propagation of irises by dividing the bush
The bush can be propagated by dividing its rhizomes, bulbs or green shoots.
Having dug up the rhizome, it is cut into several large parts, including at least one fan of leaves and two or three root links. Each of the sections must be carefully inspected, rotten and outdated areas must be cut out. Small roots are cut to a length of 10-11 cm, then the leaf part is shortened to 15 cm. The leaves are cut obliquely.
The rhizome is placed in a solution of potassium permanganate for 1.5-2 hours, dried, and the cut areas are treated with crushed coal. After 2-3 days, when excess moisture from the roots has evaporated, the divisions are planted in the ground.
To propagate valuable varieties, breeders recommend using budding. This method of propagation produces about 50 units of planting material.
The rhizome of the most developed plant is cut with a sharp knife into segments with 2 roots and 1 bud, and they are planted in a container. The container is transferred to a bright and warm room. Water as needed. After the first three leaves appear, the irises are planted in the flower garden.
Small shoots left over from an old bush should not be thrown away.They are used as much as possible for propagating irises by cutting off a cutting with several roots from the main rhizome. After drying the cut site, the seedling is planted in the ground.
The most reliable method of propagation is to separate a non-flowering sprout with a small segment of rhizome from the mother bush. This is done at the time of flowering. The sprout is planted in the shade and sprayed as necessary. The advantage of this method is that the mother plant is not damaged and the shoots take root well.
Some varieties of iris are propagated by dividing the bulbs. They are carefully separated by hand.
The bulbs are placed in a cool room with a temperature no higher than 10 ° C for 10-12 days, having previously been placed in a bag
This procedure promotes abundant flowering of irises. Before planting, the bulbs are disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate. The hole is filled 1/3 with sand. The bulbs are not buried, otherwise the roots will not have enough heat and light. After planting, the iris needs to be watered.
Recommended timing
The best time to propagate irises by dividing the bush is summer and early autumn. They will have time to take root before frost, survive the winter well and will delight you with flowers next year. Carrying out the event in late autumn can destroy the plants.
In the northern regions, it is preferable to propagate irises in the spring, in the southern regions - in the fall.
Irises are propagated by dividing rhizomes in July, when the weather is warm. In hot soil, the growth and development of lateral shoots and root systems is inhibited, and susceptibility to rot is sharply reduced.
Flower growers recommend postponing propagation by buds to the end of July so that they have time to ripen. Seeds are sown in early September.
How to dig and divide a bush
To avoid damage to the roots, plants are dug out of the flower bed with a garden fork. First carefully dig up the bush with a shovel - this will weaken the roots and make it easier to remove it from the ground.
Bulbous irises are separated by hand, rhizomatous ones - with a sharp knife, which is repeatedly disinfected in a manganese solution. It is allowed to break the rhizome manually; the percentage of its damage in this case is much lower.
Irises are propagated by budding using a knife. The rhizome is cut into many segments with buds, which are then planted in a planting container.
When propagating by budding, more planting material is obtained than with other methods
The cuttings are separated with a knife, selecting small shoots from the plant. They are cut off, grabbing a piece from the rhizome with several thin roots.
Sprouts are obtained during flowering by cutting off a fragment from the bush that does not have a bud with a piece of rhizome. Planting material is planted after 5-7 days, when the cuts have healed.
Landing in a permanent place
Plant irises in sunny areas. If the soil is clayey, then the beds should be raised. The roots of the flower grow strongly, so holes are formed at a distance of 40-60 cm. The bottom is filled with sand.
Before planting, the leaves are cut into a fan and planted in the ground, making sure that they are directed in the direction of the sun. The rhizome should be located slightly above ground level so that the bud is on the surface.
The rhizome, buried in the ground, suffers from a lack of sunlight, which leads to its rotting
Seedlings lightly sprinkled with soil are watered.To ensure access of oxygen to the roots, the soil is loosened.
The formation of a liquid fan of leaves in plants after propagation indicates weakness of flower buds, which means that the iris will not bloom next spring.
The cuttings are planted in a shallow hole, at the bottom of which ash mixed with soil is poured. The cutting is placed in the hole, watered and sprinkled with soil, lightly compacting it on top.
Iris sprouts and bulbs are planted in soil mixed with sand. The hole is filled with earth and pressed down around the stem. The seedlings are watered and loosened.
Propagation of irises by seeds
Iris propagates not only vegetatively, but also by sowing seeds, but this is a longer and less reliable process. The seed method can be used for irises of all varieties.
Iris seeds are formed in triangular seed pods, ripening occurs 2 months after flowering
They collect them from the plant themselves. The seed capsule formed after the iris blooms is placed in a gauze bag and left until ripening.
The resulting material is used in the same autumn or next spring. It should be stored in a dry and cool place.
Before planting, iris seeds are soaked for 2-3 hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or in an antifungal drug to protect the plants from diseases. They are then sown in prepared pots or containers.
Disadvantages of the seed method:
- when propagated by seeds at home, there is no guarantee that the iris will inherit varietal characteristics;
- plants will delight you with flowers in 2-3 years, and with the vegetative method they will bloom next spring.
Sowing seeds directly into the ground
Ripe seeds are sown in the flower garden in September, in slightly moistened soil. Maintain a distance between rows of 20-25 cm, and between plants of 10-11 cm. The depth of seeding is 2 cm. The crops are not watered. For the winter, it is recommended to cover the flower garden with spunbond or dry leaves.
Seedling method
The advantage of the seedling method of propagating irises is that there is no need to thin out the seedlings.
Seeds left for storage are sown for seedlings in winter
Process algorithm:
- In January, iris planting material is taken out of storage, wrapped in a damp cloth, placed in a closed container and put in the refrigerator for 1 month.
- In February, they are sown in peat pots, after soaking them in water for 3-5 days.
- 30 minutes before sowing, the water is drained and the seeds are dried.
- Prepare the planting soil: peat, perlite, sterilized compost in a ratio of 2:1:3.
- Prepared iris seeds are sown in containers to a depth of 2 cm.
- The container is taken out into the open air. Before cold weather, the seeds are regularly (but not heavily) watered. Excessively moist soil promotes rotting of the iris root system.
- For wintering, crops are left in an unheated room. Low temperatures will not harm them, they will only go into hibernation and germinate in the spring.
- After the seedlings emerge, the containers are moved to a sunny area where the plant will have enough warmth and light, and in May the seedlings are transplanted into a flower garden.
Caring for irises during reproduction
Having completed the reproduction process, the irises are watered. The next soil moistening will be organized after 3 days, allowing the soil to dry out a little.The earth is regularly loosened to prevent the formation of a crust. Weed out weeds so that they do not interfere with the development of the root system.
In August, it is recommended to spray irises with copper sulfate (at the rate of 50 g per 5 liters of water). The treatment prevents darkening of the leaf mass of plants.
Before wintering, the bare roots of the iris are sprinkled with peat and garden soil. Varieties sensitive to cold are covered for the winter. When the snow melts, the insulation is removed.
Conclusion
Irises reproduce in various ways. They use methods of dividing the bush, sowing seeds for seedlings or directly into open ground. If you follow the rules of planting and care, even a novice in gardening can handle the propagation process.
