Bearded Iris Planting and Dividing
Hello, welcome back to the farm! Today, we are diving into the world of bearded iris—one of the most enchanting flowers you'll come across. Bearded iris have recently become incredibly popular among high-end designers, thanks to their ephemeral beauty. Though each flower has a short vase life, each stem features multiple blooms, ensuring a continuous display of beauty as new flowers replace the faded ones. Let's get into how we plant and care for these gorgeous plants.
Why Bearded Iris?
Bearded iris are not only beautiful but also come in an array of exotic colors. You won't just see the typical blue irises; we have soft peach, pink, orange, deep burgundy, and mustard hues among others. This variety makes them a favorite for many. Additionally, they are easy to care for and can thrive even in very cold climates. Come winter, we simply cut back their foliage. In our zone, which has been reclassified from 4B to 5A, we sometimes add a bit of mulch to the crown of the plants, although it's not always necessary.
Preparing the Plants
This time of year, our mature bearded iris plants are ready to be cut back for the fall. If you order bearded iris rhizomes, you'll receive a portion of the plant with the leaves already cut back. Bearded iris are also very easy to divide after a few years. You'll know it's time to divide when the plant starts forming a ring shape with different rhizomes.
How to Divide Bearded Iris
To divide bearded iris, simply dig up the plant and split off each group of leaves into a new plant. The rhizomes are planted very shallowly, with the crown of the plant visible at the soil surface. Division is easy—just cut right between the rhizomes. This method of division allows us to continue propagating without the need to buy new plants every year.
Planting Bearded Iris Rhizomes
We have a bunch of leftover rhizomes, which we'll be planting on our farm. They’ll be used as seed stock, enabling us to offer wholesale bearded iris without needing to purchase more each year. To plant them, make a shallow hole using a trowel, place the rhizome in the hole, and cover it with soil and mulch. Our beds are in full sun and have well-draining, rich compost mulch—a perfect environment for these beauties.
Our Partners
We source our bearded iris from Shreiner’s out west, who provide a beautiful product that we offer wholesale through Ampersand Bulb Co. We have nine different varieties available, though some have already sold out.
Looking Ahead
We initially hoped to sell more bearded iris through our wholesale company than we did, but now we can cultivate and divide our own stock. This means we won’t need to order new stock and can focus on our existing plants for cut flower use if we like. We’re excited for the future of bearded iris on our farm.
If you have any questions about growing, dividing, or caring for bearded iris, feel free to reach out. I adore these classic, timeless perennials and hope that their popularity will continue to grow.
Until next time, happy planting!