Actually, it is common for the iris, which is often also referred to as the sword lily, to propagate the plants by dividing the rhizome. But you can also collect the ripe seeds after the flowering period and germinate them in a targeted manner.

If the iris flowers are not cut off, the seeds will form

Interesting facts about the seeds of the iris

If you do not cut off the seed pods of the iris after the flowers have withered, then over the years there will usually be a natural propagation of the plants in the garden by self-seeding. Inside the plants, which change color from green to brown, the small, brownish seeds ripen in late summer. These can be sown outdoors in autumn or used all year round for cultivation on the windowsill. If you have planted different species of irises in your garden, interesting color hybrids can occur when propagating from seeds.

Harvest the seeds at the right time

Even if the withered inflorescences of the iris are not exactly decorative in the flower bed, you must not cut them off before the seeds are ripe if you want to harvest mature and germinable seeds. The exact time depends on the flowering time of the respective subspecies, but should be reached between late summer and autumn depending on the weather in the year in question. After the seed capsules at the ends of the flower stalks have turned brown, they open up as the degree of drying increases. You should then let the seeds air dry for a bit before you pack them for storage or use them directly for sowing.

The ideal conditions for the germination of iris seeds

Basically, it takes up to three or four years for the first flowering when iris seeds are sown, while when propagating through rhizome division, flowers can form as early as the following year. However, growing from seed is the only way to obtain new color variants through crossing. The seeds of the iris are:

  • dark germs
  • cold germinator
  • more germinable after stratification of the seed
  • kept evenly moist during the germination phase

tips and tricks

Since the delicate little plants of the iris can easily be overgrown by weeds when growing from seed outdoors, growing in a pot is usually easier in terms of care.

Category:

Vegetable garden