Planting bare root yellow flag rhizomes

[shaun]

Wonder if anyone can tell me whether i have planted my yellow flag iris correctly. I recently bought 30+ bare root rhizomes which look lke they have been sliced from a main root (i am no plant expert) as there is basically a sliced cube of rhizome per plant, and they already had several inches of leaves growing. So I planted 3/4 per 13" square pot and covered the very surface of the aquatic soil with gravel, i have placd them in the pond with about 10cm of water between the rhizome and the surface.so most of the leaves are below the surface now, andalthough i have 80 watts of UV I am getting algal growth around the pond and on the iris.

Is what i have done ok or should these be left outside the pond until they have grown some more?

many thanks, Shaun

 

[shaun]

Also, having large Rudd and Mirror/common carp in my pond, are th corners of these large pots safe to fish? or should the be cut off or covered?

 

[HARO]

Shaun; just want to point out that your UV will have no effect on algae around the plants or the sides of the pond. It only kills algae spores that are free-floating, and can travel through the unit. I prefer to start any iris with the water level no higher than the soil, but yellows are more tolerant than most, and should be OK. Your fish shouldn't have a problem with the square pots, unless something frightens them and they dash about in fear. They could just as easily injure themselves on the pond sides, or anything else in the pond, so I wouldn't worry about the pots. Besides, they look like the plastic pots intended for pond use. They are safe!
John

 

[Waterbug]

I like the the crown above water line, but that's just me.

 

[j.w]

I just tucked my yellow water iris in between my rocks that are down a few inches in the water around my pond edge and they come up every year just fine and dandy.

 

[addy1]

some of my iris are 5 inches below water in the pond, they have grown fantastic, put out a lot of blooms.

 

[j.w]

The ones you gave me addy last yr I'm hoping they will bloom this year.

 

[Shdwdrgn]

I did the same as j.w... I tucked my iris bulbs down in between the rocks around the edge. Some are down a few inches, other just barely have their roots in the water. They've made it through their first Winter and it looks like they all came back. You just have to make sure they are pretty secure that first year, or when the plant grows, it will fall over under its own weight until its roots have spread out through the rocks.

 

[j.w]

Yep Shdwdrgn my iris are nice and secure sitting up there like Kings but some of them grew such big roots that they kicked some large rocks down into the pond! I guess thats what Kings do to there servants!

 

[mogsie]

dont worry about the depth irises will grow in quite deep water and spring up from root every year through the water, hey i notice you are in surrey uk, ime in uk also, if you have problems with these ones message me and i can send you some young ones down, i have plenty in the garden ! the tuba root on iris can grow quite large and these will eventually need a large container, yellow flag will also grow in dry/damp soil !

 

[Shdwdrgn]

some of them grew such big roots that they kicked some large rocks down into the pond!

Wow that's incredible! I nevr would have thought that possible, but I guess I'll have to watch for it.

i can send you some young ones down, i have plenty in the garden

I had to thin out some of my garden irises last year, and decided to try putting some of the bulbs down in the water in my pond. Those types of irises apparently did not like being submerged, because I don't believe a single one of them came up this year. I'm guessing you can only plant certain varieties directly in the water. I have several kinds of irises down in the pond, and up on the banks, attempting to grow a thick patch that blurrs the lines between water and land, and giving the look of a marsh back by the fence.

 

[mogsie]

what veriaties have you got ?? yellow flag irises will grow in dry/damp soil and in water, i grew them in my pond last year, and they are coming through again this year, they grow wild in ponds everywhere in my area, and on dry waste land,

 

[addy1]

I have yellow, purple and white iris growing in the water.