There are many plants in the world, and among them, irises stand out for their color variety. Hippocrates also noted this, giving the name to the iris in honor of the rainbow goddess Iris. The flower will serve as an excellent decoration for any garden. But despite the fact that irises are not the most demanding care, something to know about them still follows.

Do I need to fertilize irises

Thanks to fertilizers, the flower gains greater resistance to diseases and begins to bloom more magnificent. In addition, if a plant grows in one place for 3-4 years and does not fertilize, then this leads to a slowdown in growth, flowering and gradual dying of the flower.

Did you know? Croats, Serbs and Bulgarians use their name for irises, whose history goes back to the Old Slavic belief. They named the flower in honor of the god Perun - Perunik.

Stages of fertilizer application can be divided into 3 stages:

1. Before flowering, that is, in the early spring after the snow melts. This helps more active growth.
2. During budding - enhances flowering.
3. After flowering - provides the appearance of new buds and links of rhizomes, which will positively affect flowering next year.

What can be fed

The most suitable time for fertilizers is spring and autumn. These seasons were not chosen by chance, as they are determined by the most important vital stages of the plant. A flower passes through several stages throughout the year, so you need to feed each season correctly.

Until the 19th century, in Russia, the iris was called "kasatik", which came from the word "braid" because of the external sharpness of the leaves. In Ukraine, he received the popular name "cockerel" because of the outward resemblance to the animal of the same name.

In the spring

If the soil for planting was fertilized, then during the entire spring season, fertilizing will not be needed. Soil requires liquid fertilizer containing potassium and phosphorus. Pour in the phosphorus-potassium cocktail under the root during the period of the most active growth.

Important! Phosphorus is introduced only into well-warmed ground. Otherwise, it will not be absorbed and will cause phosphorus poisoning in the plant.

Video: feeding irises with a vein

Fall

It is very important in the autumn season to prepare the flower for wintering. In late August or early September, it is necessary to enrich the soil with phosphorus and potassium again to ensure more rapid growth after winter. The fertilizer volume is the same as in the spring.. Irises need to be fed for the last time immediately after flowering, as soon as the buds disappear. In addition to potassium and phosphorus, you can use humus.

Methods of cooking dressing

If you do not want to spend money on finished products, then you can do it yourself. Get all the necessary ingredients is not difficult. The main elements are phosphorus and potassium. To create a potassium-phosphorus supplement, you need only two components: ash and water.

Important! Use sulfur powder to prevent bacteria and pests. Just add 2-3 g of sulfur to the fertilizer.

Wood ash can be made independently or bought in a store. For 20 liters of water you need 2 kg of fertilizer. The mixture should be allowed to brew for 3-4 hours. One square meter of soil will require 0.5 liters of prepared fluid.

Basic rules for feeding

The most important rule is not to overfeed. Iris belongs to those plants that are better not to be fed, since over-saturation with top dressing will lead to the death of the flower. You also need to be careful with pure organics. Manure itself is an excellent fertilizer. But you need to use compost only if it is well decomposed. To use additives, the soil must be loosened and moistened.

Possible mistakes novice gardeners

In total, several frequently encountered errors can be distinguished:

1. Untimely landing. Iris needs to be planted before the onset of cold weather, because fertilizer and the plant itself need warm soil.
2. Wrong watering. The flower needs to be watered intensively during the appearance of buds. The rest of the time, watering will be appropriate only if the soil around the rhizome is completely dry.
3. Feeding is not always needed. Fertilizers are not needed if they have already been used during planting and then during the season you can do without them. Also, you can not use additives during flowering.
4. Careless weed removal. The root system of the iris is close to the surface, so it is better not to use the hoe. Weeds need to be pulled out by hands.

Iris is not the most demanding flower; not much needs to be known to grow it. Observing all the necessary norms: fertilizing and properly watering, you can get a flower garden that will delight the eye with colorful bloom in spring and autumn.