Pond Irises
 

Hi All,

I've got some irises in my pond. They grow well enough, perhaps two feet
tall, but they don't flower well. Most of them don't flower at all, if
they do, then they put out plenty of buds, but then the buds turn
crinkly and don't open properly.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bikvkjfue1...47_01.jpg?dl=0

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.

Pond Irises
 

On 16/06/2017 17:04, Ian wrote:
Hi All,

I've got some irises in my pond. They grow well enough, perhaps two feet
tall, but they don't flower well. Most of them don't flower at all, if
they do, then they put out plenty of buds, but then the buds turn
crinkly and don't open properly.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bikvkjfue1...47_01.jpg?dl=0

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.


Think it may just be bad luck with the weather, our native yellow iris
doesnt hold its flowers very long and if the weather is wet and windy
they can come and go in a day, similarly if its very hot.

2' tall is very short, have they got enough root space?

--
Charlie Pridham
Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk

Pond Irises
 

On 16/06/17 18:47, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Fri, 16 Jun 2017 18:42:01 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:

The irises look remarkably like yours.

I've just re-read the text on that first link, where he says the
irises are OK, but I'd still check for evidence of lily beetle.

Irises aren't affected by lily beetle.

What they do go for, if they can't find lilies, are fritillarias. They
can decimate snakes-head fritillaries almost as quickly as lilies. I
stopped growing lilies because of them, but I'm trying again. I do have
a yellow lily which they don't touch.

In my experience, the insecticides available to the amateur said to
treat lily beetle are a waste of time and money. Only dimethoate used to
be effective, but that's been gone for years.

--

Jeff

Pond Irises
 

On 16/06/17 20:26, Charlie Pridham wrote:
On 16/06/2017 17:04, Ian wrote:
Hi All,

I've got some irises in my pond. They grow well enough, perhaps two feet
tall, but they don't flower well. Most of them don't flower at all, if
they do, then they put out plenty of buds, but then the buds turn
crinkly and don't open properly.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bikvkjfue1...47_01.jpg?dl=0


What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.


Think it may just be bad luck with the weather, our native yellow iris
doesnt hold its flowers very long and if the weather is wet and windy
they can come and go in a day, similarly if its very hot.

It's hot at the moment. I don't think that the flowers are coming and
going quickly, it's more like they go before they've come :-)

2' tall is very short, have they got enough root space?

It could be that. I've just been out to count them, there's six or more
in one kidney shaped pond plant basket. Do I need to take it apart and
re-pot everything? When is a good time to do it?

A few years back, one of them climbed into the next door pot and rooted,
I separated them a couple of years back with loppers, was that an
indication that it was getting crowded?

I've got a green fibreglass pond, two feet deep. The pot is on one of
the shelves (~9 inches below the surface), will it be ok if I put it on
the bottom?

Thanks.

Pond Irises
 

On 17/06/2017 11:57, Ian wrote:
On 16/06/17 20:26, Charlie Pridham wrote:
On 16/06/2017 17:04, Ian wrote:
Hi All,

I've got some irises in my pond. They grow well enough, perhaps two feet
tall, but they don't flower well. Most of them don't flower at all, if
they do, then they put out plenty of buds, but then the buds turn
crinkly and don't open properly.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bikvkjfue1...47_01.jpg?dl=0


What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.


Think it may just be bad luck with the weather, our native yellow iris
doesnt hold its flowers very long and if the weather is wet and windy
they can come and go in a day, similarly if its very hot.

It's hot at the moment. I don't think that the flowers are coming and
going quickly, it's more like they go before they've come :-)

2' tall is very short, have they got enough root space?

It could be that. I've just been out to count them, there's six or more
in one kidney shaped pond plant basket. Do I need to take it apart and
re-pot everything? When is a good time to do it?

A few years back, one of them climbed into the next door pot and rooted,
I separated them a couple of years back with loppers, was that an
indication that it was getting crowded?

I've got a green fibreglass pond, two feet deep. The pot is on one of
the shelves (~9 inches below the surface), will it be ok if I put it on
the bottom?

Thanks.


My Pond iris are all in about 25 lt containers (I make them bags out of
ground cover fabric) the soil level needs to be near the surface, I dont
have any detailed pictures but below is a pond pic from a few years back

http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk/house4.htm

--
Charlie Pridham
Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk

Pond Irises
 

On 17/06/2017 12:18, Charlie Pridham wrote:
On 17/06/2017 11:57, Ian wrote:
On 16/06/17 20:26, Charlie Pridham wrote:
On 16/06/2017 17:04, Ian wrote:
Hi All,

I've got some irises in my pond. They grow well enough, perhaps two
feet
tall, but they don't flower well. Most of them don't flower at all, if
they do, then they put out plenty of buds, but then the buds turn
crinkly and don't open properly.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bikvkjfue1...47_01.jpg?dl=0



What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.


Think it may just be bad luck with the weather, our native yellow iris
doesnt hold its flowers very long and if the weather is wet and windy
they can come and go in a day, similarly if its very hot.

It's hot at the moment. I don't think that the flowers are coming and
going quickly, it's more like they go before they've come :-)

2' tall is very short, have they got enough root space?

It could be that. I've just been out to count them, there's six or more
in one kidney shaped pond plant basket. Do I need to take it apart and
re-pot everything? When is a good time to do it?

A few years back, one of them climbed into the next door pot and rooted,
I separated them a couple of years back with loppers, was that an
indication that it was getting crowded?

I've got a green fibreglass pond, two feet deep. The pot is on one of
the shelves (~9 inches below the surface), will it be ok if I put it on
the bottom?

Thanks.


My Pond iris are all in about 25 lt containers (I make them bags out of
ground cover fabric) the soil level needs to be near the surface, I dont
have any detailed pictures but below is a pond pic from a few years back

http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk/house4.htm

I do wonder if they are realy pond Iris or should they be marginals and
just having their roots damp?

Pond Irises
 

On 16 Jun 2017 17:04, Ian wrote:
Hi All,

I've got some irises in my pond. They grow well enough, perhaps two feet
tall, but they don't flower well. Most of them don't flower at all, if
they do, then they put out plenty of buds, but then the buds turn
crinkly and don't open properly.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bikvkjfue1...47_01.jpg?dl=0

What am I doing wrong?

They need to be planted at or better slightly raised from the water
level. They are bogs plants not water plants. Myself I would throw
those common native iris away and get some nicer iris, the Japanese
ones are all superb and come In a range of colours. Iris Siberia can
take wet feet too.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

Pond Irises
 

On 17/06/2017 14:47, Chris Hogg wrote:
Your pond irises are marginal or bog plants, and should be either in
very shallow water or boggy soil clear of the water.

Ours have escaped into the flower bed next to the pond. It's quite damp
at times - and floods in winter - but right now it's solid clay. And
they are flowering nicely.

Unlike the fancy irises at the end of the garden, where for the 3rd year
in a row the flower buds have rotted before they opened properly, all
crinkly inside. Which sounds just like the OP's problem... I've been
meaning to post some piccies.

Andy