Irises adorn many gardens. The flowers have rather inconspicuous leaves, but their blossoms are all the more beautiful. It's annoying when they don't appear. But what to do if the iris does not bloom? We'll enlighten you.

In a nutshell

  • Iris per se quite undemanding
  • various reasons for the lack of flowers
  • Amelioration by change of location
  • with a large number of irises: division

flowers of the iris

Irises (irises) are widespread in temperate zones. There are over 200 different species. The flower's upright leaves are narrow, sword-shaped, and green to bluish. The flower, on the other hand, shines in a wide variety of colors. It lives up to its botanical name, which translates to "rainbow". The flowers consist of

  • 3 inner standards curved upwards
  • 3 outer leaves hanging downwards
  • three-part, broadened stylus

However, the flowers differ in height. So there are high, medium-high and low specimens. The smaller the variety, the earlier in the year it flowers. The flowering time therefore ranges from February to July, depending on the type of iris. Their scent and appearance attract bumblebees, insects and hummingbirds.

The colorful irises attract many insects.

Why isn't the iris blooming?

But what is the reason if there are no flowers during the flowering period? The reasons are often location-related or caused by maintenance. In rare cases, other triggers are the cause of the lack of colorful flowers. Overall, however, a wide variety of reasons are responsible for the fact that your iris does not bloom:

  • too acidic soil
  • Soil too loamy and dense
  • too little sun
  • Fertilizer too rich in nitrogen
  • excessive proliferation of the iris
  • improper hydration
  • first/ second year after a division of the iris
  • frozen in winter
  • Roots damaged or set too deep
  • snails; Insects; rodent
  • Mushrooms; bacterial rot (rare)

Notice: The iris is represented by various subspecies. Each species requires different maintenance conditions. Accordingly, you must check in each individual case whether the wrong soil can be the reason why the irises do not bloom.

Planting as the most important measure

Whether the flowers thrive depends primarily on the location factors. Therefore, missing flowers are usually a sign that you should replant the irises. If the iris is in too much shade, it may multiply but not flower. But even if irises have spread too much, they must be transplanted. After about 5 years, the tubers are so dense that often only the edge area blooms. If you then divide the hive, all the flowers will come to life again. Proceed as follows when planting:

Do not plant the roots of the iris too deep.
  • Divide rootstocks into hand-sized pieces
  • reinsert with sufficient distance
  • Cover roots half with soil, other half visible
  • discard original root

Immediately after division, the flowers often go into a pause in bloom. Here you have to be patient. You will be rewarded with even more beautiful flowers in the second or third year of flowering.

Notice: Be careful not to divide the flowers until after they have bloomed. If you place them earlier, the flower may not bear any blossoms.

Further measures and precautions

But other factors are also responsible for why the iris does not bloom. But you can change these too. THIS is how you can adapt the soil conditions to the iris. Irises require loose and (usually) dry soil. But this varies from variety to variety. The marsh lily, for example, can even thrive in water. You can adjust the soil conditions by taking certain measures:

  • Add lime if too acidic
  • Gravel provides more permeability
  • loamy soil: work in sand
Some iris varieties prefer very wet environments.

Find out beforehand not only about the floor, but also about the right care. This will prevent the plant from getting too wet or too dry. In general:

  • use special iris fertilizer
  • fertilize once a year in March, only rarely a second fertilization in May necessary
  • mostly: water young plants occasionally, not older ones

The few non-hardy varieties should be shortened to a length of 10 cm in autumn. Then remove discolored leaves and dried leaf tips. After that, you can cover the iris with a layer of leaves, brushwood or straw. You can drive away animal visitors with suitable gentle measures. Fungi and bacteria can be treated with appropriate pesticides.

Tip: Prevention is better than aftercare. This also applies to the care of the irises. Therefore, find out about the required conditions right from the start.

frequently asked Questions

Do you have to remove faded flowers?

It is recommended to remove the flowers after the end of the flowering period and to shorten the flower stalk. This will make the bed look tidier. In addition, the seed of the iris does not spread uncontrollably. However, if you want the iris to multiply rapidly, you should leave the flowers alone.

Are iris flowers poisonous?

Basically, all parts of the iris are poisonous. The most dangerous, however, are the roots and sap of irises. They can cause skin irritation or symptoms of poisoning in sensitive people. Plant the flower better out of the reach of children and pets.

Do I have to discard the plants that are not flowering?

Not necessarily. First try to save the plant with the measures listed. The plant should bloom again the following year. However, if the iris is moldy or diseased, removing it makes sense.

Category:

Garden plants