The choice of plants for flower beds has long ceased to be a problem - in stores, nurseries and markets sold a huge amount of seeds, seedlings and bulbs. The main thing is to decide on the composition of the flowerbed and choose the necessary palette. Each grower is like an artist. That's just the beauty is created not by wide strokes of oil paints, but by delicate flower buds.
A win-win option for decorating large and small flower beds can be Dutch iris. This is a bulbous plant with large beautiful flowers of an unusual shape.
What does an onion bulb look like?
It is a perennial herb with an elongated bulb instead of a rhizome. The bulb itself is a modified and shortened underground shoot resembling a kidney. In a vertical section from the top to the bottom in the middle part of the bulb you can find the embryo of a flower arrow. Around him, like wrappers, are the beginnings of leaves. They have the function of accumulating nutrients.
Between the leaf embryos are axillary and central buds. The outer layer of the bulb is the integumentary flakes. The diameter of the bulbs is not very large - it ranges from 2 to 3.5 cm.
Botanical Description
More common for our gardeners are the rhizome species of irises. These are the flowers that we called roosters and killer whales in childhood. However, bulbous irises are also no longer exotic. The most common of these is Dutch iris. The scientific name for this flower is Xiphium. Despite the fact that the xyphium is a member of the Iris family and belongs to the genus Iris, it is recognized as a separate representative of the genus. Sometimes, by the way, this causes confusion in the specialized literature.
Iris Dutch onion, the landing and care of which are described in this article, gives peduncles of different heights. A dwarf species can give a peduncle 30 cm high. An ordinary xyphium reaches a height of 80 cm.
The plant has narrow-leaved leaves, and the flower has a complex structure. The bud has 3 external and 3 internal perianth lobes. The internal lobes are located vertically and have a narrow and wide lanceolate shape. Outer lobes are rounded and directed to the bottom.
Usually on the outer perianth lobes there is a yellow or orange spot in the center. The Dutch iris bud has several color options and leaf widths. Moreover, it can be monophonic or two-tone.
The following color of the petals is possible:
- white;
- yellow of different intensities;
- different shades of blue and blue;
- different shades of purple;
- lilac;
- combined variants of all the listed colors.
Where are Dutch irises used?
Dutch iris is often planted in garden plots and garden beds. Landscape designers are actively promoting the view, using it in mixborders and alpine slides. Of the bright colors are bouquets that are appropriate for men to give, especially for bouquets of blue and violet colors. Low-growing bulbous irises can be grown as indoor plants.
It is worth noting that the cut flower of the bulbous Dutch iris will stand in the bouquet much longer than the root varieties. It is especially good to use rainwater for a vase, since it does not contain chlorine.
How to choose the soil for planting
When the Dutch iris is described, landing seems to many as a difficult task. But it is not so. It is enough to have information about several nuances of this process.
One of them is the choice of soil for the plant. The main thing you need to know is that irises do not tolerate excess moisture. They quickly die from rotting of the bulb and roots. Before landing, it is important to take care of the drainage. However, placing it directly under the plants is not necessary. Well-established shallow trenches filled with gravel or broken brick, dug near the flowerbed along its entire length.
For those who were going to plant Dutch onion for the first time, planting and care begin with the choice of soil. The ideal soil for this plant is loose, with high air permeability, nutritious, neutral or slightly alkaline. In addition, it must be permeable.
In the sand and peat mix turf and leafy soil, if necessary, adjust the acidity. Do not use fresh manure and excessive doses of chemical fertilizers. The ideal option is a well-ripened compost or humus (a bucket of compost per 1 m² of land). After application, top dressing is thoroughly mixed with soil. In the future, irises are fed wood ash.
How to plant bulbs
Do you want the Dutch bulbous iris to bloom under your window? Planting is performed as follows:
- A round peg (diameter about 5 cm) pierce the soil 15 cm deep. A distance of about 10 cm is maintained between the pits.
- A handful of coarse river sand is poured into the hole, into which the bulb is buried by 1-2 cm.
- From above, the onion is covered with the same sand.
After the purchase, any bulbs should be treated with a fungicide solution and slightly dried. Before planting, no later than 2 days later, a flower bed or flowerpot is watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and potassium humate.
Lightly sprouted bulbs, with sprouts and roots, are planted in a trench. Depth can be from 15 to 20 cm. This helps to accurately position the roots and not damage them. In this case, the sand is covered by about 2/3 of the height of the trench. From above, Dutch irises (bulbous species) are gently crimped with sand and covered with a soil mixture. Then watering is carried out. The soil can be mulched with sand, small pebbles, gravel.
Another convenient way to land
Dutch bulbous irises can be planted in a special basket. This is a plastic container with a large number of holes and holes for air access and outflow of water. It is inexpensive, it can be found in flower shops or ordered on the World Wide Web.
The basket must be put on the ground and circled with a shovel, removed along the contour of the turf and dig a hole about 15 cm deep, make the necessary fertilizers in it, then put the basket on top and pour loose soil mixed with compost into it. Further in the basket is placed the required number of bulbs, which are covered with soil on top. At the end of flowering, the container is dug up, and all the bulbs are stored.
Flowering time
Flowering begins in late May. Depending on the variety, the time difference between the appearance of peduncles with buds is 2-3 weeks. If the street is wet and cool, then the flowers delight up to three to four weeks. In dry sunny weather, they fade faster.
If you select varieties of bulbous irises with different blooms, then a chic flower bed will delight even longer. And after that there will be juicy and beautiful foliage, which can also serve as decoration.
How to care for a blooming Dutch iris
During flowering, the Dutch iris is not very whimsical. It should be watered only in a very dry summer. Xyphium usually suffers from natural humidity and morning dew. If neighboring plants require watering, then the irises are simply covered with a film, so that the water does not get into the holes. Onion irises are not necessary for regular feeding. It is enough to feed wood ash or a mineral mixture a week before flowering. The time is determined by the beginning of the formation of the buds, they look like a seal between the leaves of the plant.
What to do next
So, the buds have faded, the leaves of xyphium have completely dried up. What to do next? Does iris require Dutch care after flowering? After the leaves have completely dried, the bulb should be dug up. What is nice, where the gardener planted one bulb, they will be a small nest. Each bulb for the next year can be planted separately, or you can leave them with a nest for 3-4 years. If the gardener has divided it, then next year only the largest bulbs will bloom, and a trifle will grow up for several seasons, preparing for flowering.
Bulbs are dried and stored in a dry room until the beginning of the Indian summer. Then they can be planted again on the flower beds, but if the climate in the region is cold, then for winter planting should be covered. Thus, you can understand the color scheme, the timing of flowering and the height of the peduncles, and the next year to form the perfect flower garden.
Diseases and Pests
Dutch iris damage leaf drills. Damaged leaves in this case are pruned, and the plant is treated with insecticides. Be sure to dig the earth in the fall and remove last year's foliage and trimmed stems and branches of other plants.
Of the diseases, the most dangerous for irises are various forms of spotting.
Florist reviews
There are a lot of varieties of Dutch irises. As noted by flower growers, these plants have a very large flower. In reviews, most people praise the Dutch iris, since it is unpretentious in care and has a pretty beautiful appearance. Such a plant survives well in the temperate climate zone.
All flower growers are unanimous that Dutch irises (planting and care were described in this article) will become an adornment of any garden plot or flower bed.