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Iris (iris) is a perennial plant distributed across almost all continents. The genus consists of approximately 800 species, with all possible shades of flowers. Japanese irises came to Russian gardens from Central Asia. The culture is widely used in ornamental gardening and landscape design.
Description of Japanese irises
In Japanese culture, irises are an indicator of perseverance and endurance - the qualities that a samurai should have; “iris” and “warrior spirit” are spelled the same in the language of this country. In Japan, there is a ritual holiday where boys contemplate irises. The plant received such recognition for the shape of its leaves, reminiscent of a samurai sword and its unpretentiousness to growing conditions.
Irises of this type are common in Japan, China, and Myanmar. They grow in wetlands and forest edges, along river banks, and in meadows. They tolerate both waterlogged soils and moisture deficits well.
Characteristics of Japanese irises:
- The form of the crop is a herbaceous shrub with erect, simple or branched stems ending in flowers.Height – 50-100 cm, depending on the variety.
- Root system with a central core and creeping shoots producing numerous basal shoots.
- The leaves are xiphoid with pointed tips, their length is 60 cm, width - 3 cm. Flat without veins, dark green, with a glossy surface. Main location at the bottom of the stem.
- The flowers of the Japanese iris are large, up to 6 cm in diameter, located in groups of 2-4 at the tops of the peduncles. The lower petals are curved, round in shape, the central ones are narrow in the form of an ellipse with wavy or jagged edges. Painted in all shades of blue or lilac.
- The fruit is a capsule with dark brown seeds. The flowering period depends on the variety of iris, mainly in the second half of summer.
The flowers are odorless and have a life cycle of 5 days.
Varieties of Japanese irises
In ornamental gardening, cultivated varieties of perennial plants are used, all of them are characterized by large flowers with a two-tiered non-standard shape, as well as varied colors of perianths and inner petals that form a dome. Varieties of Japanese irises with names and photos will allow you to choose your favorite crop for further breeding.
Vasily Alferov
The variety Vasili Alfiorov is the result of Russian selection. The originator of the variety is G. Rodionenko. The culture is named after Academician Alferov, the founder of the collection of Japanese irises created in post-revolutionary Russia.
External characteristics:
- height – 1 m;
- the bush is dense, 3-4 buds are formed on one stem;
- flower diameter is 25 cm, the color is dark purple with yellow fragments at the base of the perianths, the surface of the petals is velvety;
- It blooms at the end of June, the duration of the period is 3 weeks.
Does not tolerate dry alkaline soil. The culture is photophilous.
The variety Vasily Alferov is the leader in frost resistance among other Japanese irises
Suitable for cultivation in the Central zone and in the Southern regions.
Variegata
The variety of Japanese irises Variegata is medium-sized, its height is about 70 cm. The foliage is all over the stem, the leaves are narrow, long, with pointed tips, light green with beige stripes. The color of the leaf blades does not change from the beginning of the growing season until autumn. The flowers are large - up to 30 cm in diameter, bright purple with a red tint in daylight, with an orange area at the base of the petals. The variety of Japanese irises blooms in July, duration – 14 days. The light-loving plant prefers moist soil.
The culture is used to decorate artificial reservoirs and rock gardens
This is an ideal option for gardens in the Moscow region.
Rose Queen
Rose Queen variety is a representative of light-loving irises with tall stems (up to 1 m):
- perianths are large, drooping, drop-shaped, pale pink with bright purple veins and a lemon spot at the base;
- the central petals are short, of a uniform lavender hue;
- buds open unevenly from the second half of summer, the life cycle of a flower is 3 days;
- flower diameter is 15-20 cm, up to 4 of them are formed on the stem;
- The leaves are xiphoid, bright green, located at the bottom of the stem. By autumn they turn burgundy.
The Rose Queen variety of Japanese irises is suitable for cutting and is often used by florists in bouquets.
Crystal Halo
A representative of Japanese irises, Crystal Halo (Iris ensata Crystal Halo) is a perennial plant with late and long flowering. The cycle begins in the second half of July and continues until the end of August. The bush is dense, peduncles grow up to 1 m in height. The flowers are medium-sized (up to 15 cm in diameter).
The decorative effect of Crystal Halo is given by the coloring of the petals.
The bracts are large, round, curved, lilac with dark purple veins, a bright yellow fragment at the base and a light border along the wavy edge. The inner petals are a dark inky color.
The variety of Japanese irises Crystal Halo forms many stems with shoots, each of them has 2-3 buds.
Kita-No-Seiza
Japanese irises Kita-No-Seiza form compact bushes with intense foliage. The variety is classified as medium-sized, peduncles reach a length of 70-80 cm. The stems are simple without branches, each ending in a medium-sized flower (diameter 15 cm). The shape is terry, open. The petals are round, light pink with white veins and a green spot at the base.
Flowering begins in July-August and lasts 20 days.
Eilins Dream
The variety Eileens Dream (Iris ensata Eileens Dream) is considered one of the brightest decorative forms of Japanese irises. The plant is tall (90-110 cm), compact, the main arrangement of leaves is in the lower part of the stem. The flowers are large, double, with wavy edges, purple or blue with a small lemon spot. Flowering time is June-July.
The Eilins Dream variety is recommended for the fourth climatic zone
The culture needs shelter for the winter.
Grown for cutting and gardening.
Application in landscape design
Representatives of Japanese irises with a variety of colors and heights are combined with all types of flowering and evergreen plants. Ideally harmonizes with ornamental shrubs. The main conditions for creating compositions are an open area without shading, as well as a neutral or slightly acidic soil composition.
Flowerbeds (iridariums) created from irises with different flower colors are popular among designers and gardeners. Low-growing varieties are used to decorate rock gardens, and mixborders in the style of a Japanese garden are also created.
Description and photos of design ideas for using Japanese irises:
- Planted along the edge of the flower bed.
Japanese irises complement evergreen shrubs and low-growing flowering plants.
- Designs are made from natural stone.
- The banks of an artificial reservoir are decorated.
- Mass planting is used to edge the lawn.
- They create mixborders with simultaneously flowering crops.
- They decorate the territory of rockeries.
- Placed in mass planting along the garden path.
- Decorate the garden areas.
- They create compositions in Japanese style.
Features of reproduction
You can propagate the crop by seeds, but this method is more often used to breed new varieties. To obtain seedlings of Japanese irises, seeds collected at the end of the growing season are sown. The process of seed propagation is lengthy; seedlings will bloom only in the third year.
Japanese irises are propagated locally by dividing the bush or by root shoots. The difference between the methods is that in the first case, the plant is removed from the soil and cut into pieces, in the second, a piece of root with shoots is cut off using a shovel.
When dividing an adult bush, at least three leaf rosettes should remain on one root section
Planting and caring for Japanese irises
Japanese iris (pictured) is an unpretentious plant, so planting and care will not cause difficulties even for novice gardeners. The place allocated for the culture must satisfy its biological requirements. Preparatory measures for winter play an important role in the cultivation of irises, especially in the temperate climate zone.
Deadlines
Japanese irises are placed in the Southern regions in spring (April) or autumn (October). For the Central and Middle zones, it is not recommended to carry out work in the fall, because seedlings have a weak root system, which, even with careful covering, will not survive the winter. Japanese irises are planted in open ground in early May, when there is no threat of return frosts and the soil has warmed up to +15 0With or in the summer so that the seedling has time to take root well.
Site selection and soil preparation
Japanese irises are light-loving flowers that lose their decorative appearance in the shade. Therefore, the following requirements are imposed on the site:
- the place should be open, protected from the influence of the north wind;
- do not use areas in the shade of large trees with a dense crown;
- the soil is suitable: neutral or slightly acidic, aerated, fertile, light;
- Areas with stagnant groundwater are not allowed, but the crop feels comfortable along the banks of reservoirs.
The designated flower bed is dug up, weed roots are removed, and organic matter is added.Wood ash is not used for growing Japanese irises, and fertilizers containing alkali are also not recommended. Before work, mix a nutrient substrate from turf soil, compost and peat, add nitrogen-containing agents and potassium.
Landing algorithm
If the planting material has a peduncle, then the central stem is cut off at the root, but there must be leaf rosettes (babies) on the sides.
Using a sharp knife, carefully cut off the link that has faded.
Sequence of planting Japanese irises:
- Leaves are cut at an angle.
- Dig a hole along the height of the root, taking into account 10 cm for the substrate layer.
- The seedling is placed in the center, the roots are untangled if necessary.
- Gently sprinkle soil over the vegetative buds.
- The soil is slightly compacted so as not to damage the surface roots of the iris.
- The seedling is watered, you can cover the soil with mulch.
Features of care
Caring for Japanese irises involves fulfilling simple requirements:
- the plant is hilled up and covered with mulch in the spring, this event eliminates the appearance of weeds and retains moisture;
- Water regularly to prevent the soil from drying out. There is no need to overwater the seedlings;
- They are fed with complex fertilizers in the spring; liquid organic matter can be added throughout the entire growth period.
In the fall, the above-ground part is cut off, superphosphate is added, and covered with a layer of straw. Young irises can be insulated with spruce branches.
Diseases and pests
Japanese irises do not get sick, the only problem may be stagnant water and cold weather, which increase the likelihood of root rot, but this is rare. Thrips parasitize the plant; they are eliminated by pruning damaged areas and treating them with insecticides.
Conclusion
Japanese irises are represented by numerous varieties with a variety of colors, shapes and sizes of flowers. They grow crops for cutting and decorating plots, gardens, and flower beds. Japanese irises are unpretentious, do not get sick, and are rarely affected by pests. They do not tolerate shaded areas and moisture deficiency.
