Contents
When to prune irises for the winter, after flowering, in the fall
A gardener who decides to plant irises sooner or later wonders when to prune irises for the winter and whether it should be done at all. There are certain rules for this procedure that you need to know and follow. Otherwise, you can harm the plant and lead to its death.
When and how to prune irises after flowering
The flowering period usually lasts from May to June. During this time, some flowers dry up, others bloom, the flowering time of one is no more than 5 days. After the flower begins to wither and dry out, you need to help the plant – remove the peduncles.
The gardener needs to know when to prune irises for the winter.
For this operation to be beneficial, it is worth adhering to the following rules:
- We use special garden shears with well-sharpened sharp blades;
- Determine the length of the cut part – we retreat 2 cm down from the base of the bud;
- Some varieties bloom 2 times per season. When the bush has completely bloomed, the stem must be removed almost completely – we make a cut at a height of 2 cm from ground level;
- Check the bushes regularly for wilted flowers.
In summer, we remove only dry flowers and peduncles. Leaves during this period do not need to be touched, their turn will come a little later. The exception is dry foliage, which must be removed.
Whether to prune irises in autumn, when and how
If you cut off the leaves ahead of time, you can harm the plant. It will not receive enough nutrients, which can subsequently reduce its frost resistance. This procedure should be carried out in the fall, a few days before the arrival of frost, so that the cut greens do not have time to start growing. In the middle lane, this is usually mid-October. Autumn pruning rules are very simple:
- Measure from ground level 15 cm.
- Make a cone-shaped cut with the tip up.
- Burn the cut foliage.
The fact is that insect pests lay eggs in the leaves of irises. If the debris is not trimmed and destroyed, it will start damaging the plants in the spring.
As for pruning buds, is it worth doing this procedure at all? Yes, this is a must-have for iris care. After the flower dries up, the seeds will ripen and sow the entire surrounding area of the land
Self-seeding will lead to uncontrolled growth of the bushes, they will interfere with each other, take all the nutrients from the soil. As a result, the flower garden will lose its attractive appearance. Also, the removal of wilted flowers and peduncles is aesthetic in nature, because the dead parts of the plant spoil the whole picture.