About Louisiana Irises

To Avoid Plant Stress, we dispatch Louisiana Irises between the months of 1st March - 31st August

Louisiana Irises are an evergreen perennial that originate from the wetlands of Louisiana, Texas and Florida of U.S.A.
They are a swamp iris that prefer wet or damp conditions that grow in full sun or part shade.

Louisiana Irises in Australia grow very well and are relatively disease free. They like a soil with a PH of 6.5 or less and need to be fertilized at least twice a year. It is important to remember that Louisiana Irises are acid loving plants and DO NOT TOLERATE LIME. Avoid using rose fertilizers, potash, mushroom compost and never use lime.

Throughout the year Louisiana Irises put on a handsome display with their attractive blue-green sword-like foliage. They look tremendous growing alongside creeks, dams, ponds and used in water features. They can be grown in gardens but with a reminder that they require dampness throughout the year (one good watering a week in well mulched, composted soil during the summer season will be beneficial).
Given the attention they require, will in return reward you with a magnificent display of healthy, colourful, good sized blooms from early to late spring. Generally they are rampant growers and very quick multipliers, therefore needing to be divided and replanted after a few years if you are short on space.

Louisiana make wonderful cut flowers or as a single stem where they last up to several days in a vase.

Louisiana Irises grow well in old outside bathtubs, concrete troughs, practically any large containers that hold a bit of water. If planting in a pond, dam or creek, plant around the edges and DO NOT submerge the foliage. You can secure the rhyzomes by staking them to the ground using a strong piece of bent wire (tent peg, or wire from a coat-hanger) or by weighting down by bricks or rocks. Once the plant has established itself it will grow unaided.

I grow most of mine in large square plastic containers underneath peppy (peppermint) trees where they receive some dappled sunlight during the morning and receive full sun in the afternoon.

I like to grow a few varieties in domestic plastic carry buckets. Then once a bucket of Irises are in bloom, I place the bucket in the garden of the Entertainment /B.B.Q area where I mix them in amongst some other plants concealing the bucket. Otherwise I bury the bucket down to the soils surface. Once that bucket of Irises has completed blooming I then just replace it with a later blooming variety, so then you have a continuous, magnificent display throughout the spring season where your guests will enjoy viewing these gorgeous blooms.

I like to fertilize my Louisiana Irises a few times a year - a good dose around Mid-Winter (before the scapes and blooms appear), then during the blooming season – Spring (to give them a bit more of a boost), and again in late Summer/Autumn. Basically whenever I feel they need it. Sometimes it may be a handful of Azalea/Camellia fertilizer, blood and bone, other times a bit of dynamic lifter, although others wouldn’t agree on this, but I have found they have never done any of mine any harm.
You can also use a slow release fertilizer, a good sprinkle of dried bagged up cow or rotted animal manures, and any organic matter like compost, peat, moss, straw, leaves, and wood chips. I like to have mine planted about 1-2 cms below the soils surface and have them covered throughout the year with a good layer of wood chips, which protects the rhyzomes in the summer from the suns heat and retains the moisture for longer. It also protects against frosts and extreme cold during the winter months.

To maintain a healthy green foliage, I avoid watering any foliage during the hot summer season. I either water late in the evening or at night watering at the base of the plant. I have watered during midday in the summer season, but I make sure I water at the base only. This will minimize any black spot or Louisiana Rust. If you do see any leaf disease, remove and destroy the affected area by cutting it back to the healthy green foliage. This should be done as soon as possible.
A good fungicide spray like “Mancozebe” will get rid of any undetected traces. Personally I haven’t had to resort to this spraying method for I keep a close eye for any signs during the vulnerable season.

We have over 50 varieties of Louisiana Irises, which we dispatch through post from March through to June.

POSTAGE COSTS:

 

Happy Gardening

Shelli Green