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Perennial irises are frequent guests in flower beds. You can meet them in gardens, parks and squares, these plants are used by landscape designers and ordinary amateur flower growers who like the variety of species, varieties and colors. There are few reasons why irises do not bloom. These perennials are unpretentious and undemanding in care, so the lack of flowering in them is rare, however, sometimes it happens.
Features of flowering irises
There are a huge number of irises – several tens of thousands of different varieties and hybrids. They differ from each other, including the timing of flowering. Irises also have features in the structure of the flower itself. The tubular perianth consists of 6 petals fused at the base. At the same time, 3 of them are bent down, and 3 others are raised up. In the specialized literature, these types of petals have their own name – fouls and standards.
Flowers differ from other species in their special structure.
Depending on the shade of the iris, several more groups are subdivided into which species with characteristic signs of staining are combined: one or two colors, the nature of the color, its intensity.
The shape of the arrangement of the petals can also be different, depending on this, the following classification is accepted:
- Classic.
Classic flower shape – fouls point down
- Semi-soaring.
In a semi-soaring flower, the falls are at an angle
- Soaring.
Falls of the soaring flower are directed horizontally
Petals of Japanese species have a “floating” shape
The perianth lobes themselves are also divided into 3 types, depending on the edge of the petal:
- Straight, or strict style.
Strict style flowers have a smooth edge of the petals
- Corrugated.
Corrugated species have a wavy edge of the petals
- Lacy, or bubbly – the petal plate has openwork curls, the edge looks foamy.
Lace types are especially decorative
In addition, there are 2 large groups of irises:
- bearded;
A stripe of villi on the petals is a hallmark of bearded varieties.
- beardless.
There are no villi on the flower of beardless subspecies
The former got their name for the presence of a characteristic path of hairs on the outer perianth lobes, while the latter do not have it.
When do irises bloom, in what month
Ultra-early varieties of irises (according to the international classification they have the designation VE) bloom already at the end of April. These are low, dwarf and miniature species. Then, in May-June, buds appear on larger border varieties. The latest, tall irises, classified VL, bloom in July.
How long do irises bloom
The flowering period of irises depends on many factors, including natural (climate, weather conditions) and artificial (planting site, soil characteristics, care). Under normal conditions, flowering lasts 10-14 days.
A list of reasons why iris does not bloom, and what to do
If the iris does not bloom in due time, you must definitely pay attention to this. There can be several reasons for the lack of buds. They are associated with planting and care, as well as with some natural causes that are not dependent on a person.
Wrong variety selected
Incorrect selection of varieties of irises for planting may well affect their flowering. To prevent this from happening, be sure to purchase zoned varieties, as well as those that are suitable for the specific conditions of the site. For example, moisture-loving marsh or Siberian irises should be planted near water; for alpine slides, it is better to choose dwarf bearded species.
Weather
Often the reason for the lack of flowering in irises is the weather. This is especially true in regions with an unfavorable climate. Iris blooms poorly after a cold rainy spring, due to recurrent frosts.
Too damp and cold weather can cause the lack of flowers in irises
In some cases, prolonged rains or, conversely, severe drought can lead to the fact that the plants do not have enough strength to fully form buds. Due to the abundance of moisture, the roots may suffer, due to their decay, the nutrition of the aerial parts of irises is disturbed. The same can happen with water deficiency, especially during the budding period.
Violation of the landing rules
Incorrect choice of location or violations made when planting irises are the most common reasons for the lack of flowers in these plants. It must be remembered that for planting these perennials, you need to choose sunny, wind-protected places with loose, well-drained soil. If, for example, a flower bed after construction on the site falls into the shade, then due to lack of lighting, flowering will significantly weaken, and in some cases it may not even wait at all. If the problem of why irises do not bloom is only this, then it is solved by transplanting plants to a more suitable place.
Proper planting is the key to the future flowering of irises
Another reason why iris does not bloom is the excessive deepening of the rhizomes during planting or transplanting. When carrying out such work, they should be placed almost on the surface, so that the growth buds, together with the upper scallop of the root, are above the ground level. If the rhizomes are deeply buried, then they should be partially torn open, exposing the top of the root.
Violation of the rules of care
Irises, though unpretentious, but some care is still required for them. If you plant flowers and then leave them to their fate, they may not bloom.
Irrigation Schedule Violation
Most irises do not like excessive soil moisture and negatively perceive excess moisture, with the exception of certain species. Too frequent and abundant watering will contribute to the development of root rot, and this can lead not only to the absence of flowers, but also to the death of the plant itself. Irises are more tolerant of hot weather, but at this time they need watering, especially when the plants are in the bud formation phase and during flowering periods.
Lack of nutrition
Irises grow quite quickly, while absorbing a lot of useful substances from the ground. If you do not apply additional fertilizers, then the fertility of the soil will very soon decrease to such an extent that the plant will not be able to “feed” the emerging buds and will begin to drop them.
Irises need periodic feeding
To prevent this from happening, several times during the season, irises are fed with complex potassium-phosphorus fertilizers, and in the spring – also with nitrogen fertilizers, if there is a growth deficiency. However, nitrogen fertilization should be used with caution. Its overabundance can lead to the fact that the irises will not bloom, the plants will have only leaves.
Lack of shelter in winter
Not all varieties and types of irises tolerate harsh winters well. Only a small part of them can winter without shelter. In order for the plants to survive the winter, they are covered with non-woven material, covered with dry leaves and spruce branches, houses are made of slate or roofing material, which are subsequently covered with snow. If this is not done, then the flower buds of most types of irises can freeze and die, this will lead to the fact that the plant will grow, but it will not have buds.
The need for a transplant
The reason why irises do not bloom may be a large planting density. Over time, these perennials grow strongly, their rhizomes increase significantly in size and literally grow on top of each other. Great competition forces plants to spend all their energy only on the growth of greenery; in this case, you can not wait for flowering.
Approximately 1 time in 4 years, the rhizomes of irises are divided and seated
To avoid this situation, about 1 time in 4 years, irises are dug out of the ground, the rhizomes are divided into parts and seated.
Pests and diseases
Under adverse conditions, various fungal diseases begin to develop especially quickly, which can cause not only the absence of flowers, but also the death of the plant. Weakened irises become the prey of insect pests, the presence of which also negatively affects flowering. To protect flowers from diseases, plantings are periodically treated with fungicides, for example, Bordeaux liquid. They fight insect pests with insecticides, treating flowers in accordance with the instructions for the drug used.
Fungal diseases can lead to the death of the entire plant
How to make irises bloom
To make irises bloom, you need to clearly find out the reason why this did not happen. First of all, you need to check the location of the beds and the deepening of the rhizomes, sometimes it is enough to dig them out a little in order to get abundant flowering next year. It would not be superfluous to clarify whether the variety is suitable for growing in a particular region; it may be necessary to completely update the planting material.
To find the best place for irises, you can organize several flower beds in different parts of the garden.
It is advisable to empirically determine the best location, the optimal composition of the soil, and try out various care options. If you take this seriously, then, as a rule, the cause of weak flowering or its complete absence can be quickly found and eliminated.
Conclusion
There are not so many reasons why irises do not bloom. If you follow all the recommendations for growing these perennials, then you may not encounter such a situation at all. If the flowering of irises is absent for a long period, then you need to seriously deal with this, analyze the causes and draw appropriate conclusions.