We dispatch L. Irises from 1st March – 31st May. You receive bare rooted healthy rhizomes with trimmed foliage.

 

ABOUT LOUISIANA IRISES

The peak blooming months for LOUISIANA IRISES in Australia are October to November.

Louisiana Irises are an evergreen perennial that originate from the wetlands of Louisiana, Texas & Florida of U.S.A. They are a swamp iris that prefer wet or damp conditions that grow best in full sun or part shade. Under trees where they get morning or afternoon sun is suitable. They are fast growing, easy to grow, hardy and vigorous.

Throughout the year Louisiana Irises put on a handsome display with their attractive blue-green sword like foliage. Frogs love to live amongst them.

Louisiana Irises come into bloom during spring where each stem/scape may have up to 20 or more blooms, each bloom lasting for several days. They make great cut flowers. They look tremendous growing in old bathtubs, troughs, containers, alongside creeks, dams, ponds and used in water features.

PLANTING OF RHIZOMES

If Planting in Ponds, Dams or Creek - Plant the rhizome around the edges at high water mark just below the surface of the soil. You can secure the rhizome by staking them to the ground using a strong piece of bent wire (tent peg, or wire from a coat-hanger) taking care not to pierce or damage the rhizome. Once the plant has established you can remove the wire and it will grow unaided.

If Planting in the Middle of a Pond - Plant rhizome in a suitable size pot and have pot raised by bricks so that the rhizomes are just below the water surface, DO NOT submerge the foliage more than an inch under the water.

If Planting in Tubs - I like to have mine planted about 1-2 cms below the soils surface and have them covered throughout the year with a good layer of mulch, which protects the rhizomes during the hot summer months we get here and also retains the moisture for longer. Mulch also protects against frosts and extreme cold during the winter months.

If Planting in Garden Beds - Louisiana Irises can be grown in garden beds but with a reminder that they require dampness throughout the year, so to obtain this you can dig a trench of a couple of feet deep, line with plastic and fill with composted soils and plant your rhizomes out.

CARE & FERTILIZING

They generally like a soil with a PH of 6.5 or less and need to be fertilized at least twice a year. It is important to remember that Louisiana Irises are acid loving plants and DO NOT TOLERATE LIME. Avoid using rose fertilizers, potash, mushroom compost and never use lime. I like to fertilize my Louisiana Irises 2-3 times a year, once around Mid-Winter before the scapes appear and again during the blooming season, then again in late Summer /early Autumn when their new foliage starts to appears. Basically whenever I feel like they need it.

You can use a slow release fertilizer or a handful of Azalea & Camellia fertilizer or Blood & Bone. A good sprinkle of dried up cow/horse or pig manures or any organic matter like compost, straw, leaves, wood chips. One to two good waterings a week in well mulched, composted soil during the summer season will be beneficial. Here I don’t water at all during the winter months as we get adequate rainfall.

Given the attention they require, they will in return reward you with a magnificent display of healthy, colourful, good sized blooms from early to late spring. Generally they are rampant growers and very quick multipliers, therefore needing to be divided and replanted after a few years if you are short on space

PESTS & DISEASES

These are pretty disease free plants. The foliage may tan off or get black spot during the summer months. To avoid these avoid overhead watering during the hot summer/ humid months. I water the plants at the base with the hose as I have all mine growing in containers. They may start to look a bit unsightly with the old foliage dying back whilst the new foliage starts to appear. Usually this happens towards the end of summer. You can either leave it or trim the old foliage back. If you do see any leaf disease, remove and destroy the affected area by cutting it back to the healthy green foliage. This should be done as soon as possible. A good fungicide spray like “Mancozebe” will get rid of any undetected traces. Personally I haven’t had to use this.

Slugs and snails LOVE to eat the blooms so to avoid this happening I sprinkle a handful of snail pellets out whilst the blooms are half matured whilst still closed.

Happy Gardening - Shelli Green

 

Rainbow Daylilies & Irises
www.rainbowdaylilies.com
Phone: 08 97553006 Mobile: 0437 206 207
Address: P.O Box 504, Dunsborough W.A. 6281
Email: rainbowdaylilies@hotmail.com