evelyninthegarden said:
Bonnie ~ You mentioned in another thread, that the smaller irises had different requirements than the tall bearded irises. What do they need differently?
Evelyn, i guess if you lived in northern climes you may be able to treat the dwarf iris (MDB's) like the smallest median iris (SDB;s). In my zone - 7A - many local iris growers do not attempt to grow the dwarfs (MDB's). The growers plant them along with other bearded irises and the growing conditions here do not encourage them to survive. They require a longer period of chill/winter weather. They also do not like to be planted in all day sun or any afternoon sun in August. I grow my dwarfs (MDB's) in pots and move them to north facing slopes during the winter and sometimes if we have a cooler winter or snow they do better. I move the pots after the trees leaf out to a spot under an oak where they get dappled sunshine on the hottest days. In my area they also require more water during the hottest days of summer.
I can grow the smallest of the median class bearded irises (SDB's) along with my other irises. They actually seem hardier than some of the taller, newer TB's when given the same growing conditions. I give them the same treatment as the taller irises and they seem to clump faster. Because they are shorter and have smaller rhizomes they need to be planted closer to walkways or entryways so that you can enjoy them better. If planted behind the taller beardeds they will be lost to view.
There are exceptions to every rule. Many new MDB's that are being created in the south do well in this zone. They also are tall for their class and have the same habits of some SDB's. Also, if you trace an irises ancestry you will be able to make an educated guess about which ones will do well, or at least better than others, in your area.
The first dwarfs (MDB's) I bought were from Schreiners many years ago and it was just 'a shot in the dark'. I still have most of them but some are sporadic performers. They can stay here as long as they live but if they decide that this area is not where they want to live I will not replace them.
