Iris reticulata, Mini Iris

[Tindomul]

Does anyone know anything about the mini Iris? Or has anyone ever grown it. I got one from Trader Joe's last night. I figured I could keep it wet since the Irisis I've see grow next to bodies of water, but upon reading about this, I realized it is a different species. And websites say to grow them moist but in well drained soil. So, does anyone have any experience with these? Thanks.

[DelawareJim]

Tin-

It's a spring bulb so give it plenty of drainage and full sun. I grow mine along the front walk with extra sand turned into the soil.

I know a lot of people that grow them in their rockeries.

It will need cold dormancy to initiate flower buds for the following year.

Cheers.
Jim

[Tindomul]

Thanks Jim. When do they go dormant, at the end of the summer?? The best I can do for this one is my south facing window, but thats actually pretty good amount of light.

[Judi]

I also have them in the front of my flower bed; they are barely covered with soil, actually I can see most of them. They will send up small iris leaves and then bloom I think in late spring. Mine mostly keep their leaves until frost; I mulch them with leaves for the winter.

[Tindomul]

Oh nice!! So they survive here in NYC. How moist is your flower bed??
I think I found a new addiction, sigh!

[kiki-do]

I have them in the ground in a southwest garden and do absolutely nothing to them. They thrive. I've also found some patches here and there on my banks in shadier areas (thanks to my wild birds and the wind). Once they get established, they are like weeds....here anyway. And my winters are much colder than yours, so yours should do fine. Here, people plant them in fall and they come up in the early spring and last about three weeks. When the stalks are woody and leaves are spent, I cut them back for the next year. I do try and mulch the ones in my garden, but don't bother with the offsprings scattered here and there and they still come back each year. Hope that helps.

[Tindomul]

Yes it does!! Thanks.

[Judi]

Oh nice!! So they survive here in NYC. How moist is your flower bed??

Unfortunately we have clay, and although I have tried to enrich the flower bed, gardening is still tricky. That being said, it is wet in the spring--like now, and dry in the summer. I mulch around my perennials, and water as much as I can. The iris are in the front which is the highest part of the bed, it is still wet now but dries out fast in the summer. The iris grow well under these conditions, and they seem to bloom in both sun and partial shade; I fertilize with Planttone in the spring and lightly in late fall. I got them from my son in MA--he bought a house which had gardens that were not maintained for years, so I was thrilled to find any perennials when I weeded; the dwarf iris were thriving even under those conditions. I think they are really easy to grow!

[Bird Song Farm]

I bought a clump of these last summer. The ground is still frozen here so it will be a couple more weeks before I see if they made it through the winter. If Kiki's made it I'm sure mine will too.
Al

[stefpix]

I like those mini iris and I considered them but I have not much luck with spring bulbs -
also if i leave them on teh fire escape the squirrels dig them out... They only do it to some pots. just wonder if Iris are squirrell-proof