Q. A number of these plants are in the backyard. The tips of the leaves have a burnt or dead appearance. Is there something I should be doing for these plants? They are occasionally fertilized with general Miracle Gro plant fertilizer (a few times per year).
A. This may be butterfly Iris, I'm not 100% certain but it doesn't
really matter, the problem is the same. They don't like desert soils all that
well so it is best to grow them without rock mulch. They like soils with more
organic matter in them. If I'm correct and it is butterfly Iris, they are
native to Africa and are sometimes called African Iris.
The leaves can
turn brown at temperatures below 25° F. They are removed either by pulling or
cutting at the base. Some plants that look like this have leaves that can be
pulled easily while others do not and they must be cut off close to the base.
About every three or four years the plant should be entirely dug
from the ground and separated or divided when they are too large. When they get
large, you don't see as many flowers and they are not as vigorous. They don't
look as good. They can tolerate a little bit of dry soil but they really like
wet soils better.
They don't like full sun but they prefer filtered light such as
the light beneath trees that are not overly dense.
So, in short, I would lift it from the ground and divide it. It
is easy to do because they are growing in clumps. You simply cut these clumps apart and replant a smaller clump in the same place. But this time add an equal
amount of compost to the soil when you're replanting it. Instead of using rock
mulch, use 3 to 4 inches of wood chips. When you are dividing them, remove the
brown leaves at the base. Keep the roots moist but not overly wet. Lightly
fertilize 3 to 4 times a year.
Viragrow Delivers!
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