Any advise would be greatly appreciated. I planted Iris bulbs (purple with yellow center) in the early spring for my balcony,in planters They all had stems and only a couple bloomed. but now after a extreme HOT spell here my irises are in DISTRESS. i watered them and finally moved some to a shaded spot as the leaves started to turn yellow and some are completely dead. What should i do??? remove the bulbs that no longer have leaves ??? What can i do to save them ??? fertilizer type?? any info greatly appreciated! Feeling blue : ((
It is a spring plant so it isn't really suppose to bloom all summer. Chop them off at the dirt and they'll come back next spring or save the rhizome (the "bulb") in a dark dry place (like a paper bag in cabinet). As for fertilizer, they probably don't really need them now, do it in the spring (they are suppose to go dormant). I always recommend Mykos and azos (which will do better than any chemical fertilizer). As for watering, just water them whenever they get dry. If anyone wants to correct me that is fine, just remembering from experience.
The time for planting Irises is in summer. The old plants are then dug up a few weeks after they stopped blooming, divided, trimmed and replanted. How it happened you planted yours in spring? If you ever dug up well established Iris plants you could see how extensive root system they have. They are not suitable for growing in containers. They should not be over-watered, either. Another problem with growing in containers is that in the summer, especially in sunny locations, the soil in the container may become excessively warm, even if the container is shaded from the sunlight, as it should be, or even hot if it is not. In winter the soil may become too hard frozen. Many plants will not like that. The most suitable for growing in containers are heat-loving annuals. Welcome to the forum!
Thanks for the great information The bulbs info said , can plant in spring and get a later bloom. The temps here are not dreadfully cold so not so extremely cold for plants in containers. as i have seen several places with perennials out all year. Nice to be part of this Forum.look forward to reading Gardening advise ,, for a real beginner.
