Re: Growing iris in pots

kellydn@frontiernet.net wrote:


I have a multi-part question for gardeners in areas where iris can only
be grown in pots:
There are many iris types (Spurias, Siberians, PCNIs, etc) and I am sure ther are some that will grow where you are.

Where are you (general terms)? We can help much better if we know your environment.

1)       How successful is pot culture?
Depends on your criteria. I have successfully grown iris in pots for 1 to 3 years.

On several occasions I have potted rzs left over from our club sale in the fall. I use 50-50 native soil and a compost mix. I put them in 1 gallon pots. Most bloom the next spring and we sell them to the public and to a garden center. The pots are too small for multi-year growth.

2)       How hard is it to get most cultivars to grow in pots? (I know
most iris cv's that I grow don't like pot culture)
Never had much of a problem with any of them. If they are vigorous in the ground they generally do fine in pots,

For long term potting, pick a 4-5 gal pot. Use a 50-50 mix. Feed them twice in the spring (10-10-10) - just when they start their growth cycle, and a couple weeks after bloom, and again in the fall (0-10-10) (that is not a typo - 0 nitrogen)

I don't think I would let them sit in full sun if you have very hot summers (you don't say where you are which is important in some of the above.)

5)       Do nurseries in your areas attempt to sell iris in pots?
Yes. (Note that I am in the San Francisco area - a Mediterranean environment)

John | "There be dragons here"
| Annotation used by ancient cartographers
| to indicate the edge of the known world.

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