Iris: how to grow it in the garden or in a pot

A plant with stunning flowers, which can come in a variety of colors: from purple to white, from orange to yellow. Easy to grow because it's not too delicate.

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iris

The iris is a plant with flowers Beautiful, in various colors, from white to purple. It's not difficult to grow, and it adapts well to a garden, but also to a pot and a balcony. The important thing is to choose the right soil based on the species (over three hundred are known) and its function: the iris, in fact, also lends itself very well to an ornamental role, within a garden or in an outdoor space.

Origins

A plant belonging to the Iridaceae family, its name is of Greek origin, deriving from Iris, the messenger of the gods, and meaning rainbow. The wonderful flower In fact, it can have many colors, among the most classic ones being purple, but also orange, yellow, white, pink.

The Iris has ancient origins, apparently it was already known to the Ancient Egyptians and once, in Europe, its rhizome was used to perfume linen.

Types of Iris

There are more than 300 species of the Iris genus, not to mention the numerous varieties: truly a world full of surprises and colors!

According to the traditional classification system, the first distinction to be made when talking about Irises is between Bulbous Irises and Rhizomatous Irises, in turn divided into three groups, namely:

  • Bearded irises or Pogoniris, which owe their name to the presence of hairs, a sort of “beard”;
  • Bearded irises or Apogon, devoid of hairs;
  • Crested irises, which have a small crest.

Land

If you want to plant irises in your garden, it's best to do so in late summer or early fall. You can plant the flowers in their preferred location, without going too deep (the rhizome should be visible), after adding gravel or sand to the soil.

Be careful not to plant irises too close together; they should be spaced at least 30 cm apart. You can also plant them in a pot, placing it in a sunny spot, sheltered from drafts. Even in this case, don't plant the irises too deeply. The plant can be grown in full sun or partial shade, in open ground or even in a pot. This latter cultivation method, which has the advantage of allowing the plant to be easily moved when temperatures become too low, must be taken into account that some varieties of the plantIris they can reach a height of up to 70 centimetres (dwarf species, however, do not exceed 20 centimetres).

Sowing and flowering

You can sow iris seeds in the fall so that they germinate in the spring. The seeds should be planted dry and buried about 2 cm apart, slightly spaced. Once they reach a certain size, you can transplant them.

Watering

In general, although each species has its own needs, it is advisable to water Water irises regularly, but avoid overwatering, which can cause dangerous waterlogging. If you plant them in the garden, rather than in a pot, watering them during the hottest, driest periods is sufficient. They don't need watering in the winter.

Pruning

Irises don't go prune But just clean them. Therefore, it's enough to remove any dry or damaged leaves every now and then, as long as they're before flowering, and any faded flowers.

Problems and remedies

Irises don't require much care because they are hardy plants, although some species are more delicate than others, especially when exposed to cold temperatures. But in general, they don't cause any problems.

Just be careful of snails, aphids, and mold, which can form in case of water stagnation, which should be avoided at all costs. For aphids, you can also use natural insecticides.

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