Since the pointed leaves of the iris are rather inconspicuous, garden owners usually go after the magnificent, colorful flowers when growing the iris. If the flowers do not appear on the plant, also known as the sword lily, this can have different reasons.

Too little sun can be the reason why the iris does not flower

The sunbather in the garden

The iris basically comes in various subspecies, which have very different care needs in terms of humidity at the location. However, all iris species need a location that is as sunny as possible in order to thrive. If you plant the iris in your garden in a place that is too shady, it can certainly multiply. However, she will rarely produce a satisfactory number of buds if she gets too little sun.

The thing about transplanting

Smaller species of irises with dainty flowers often produce numerous flowers even after many years in the same location. However, if you can't spot any flowers on the irises in your garden during the flowering period, then it may be time to transplant the rhizomes. To do this, dig up the bulbous rhizomes in autumn to divide them. Above all, use the younger side shoots and plant them in loose soil.

The right care and the optimal substrate

When planting the iris, make sure that the soil is as loose as possible and does not tend to become waterlogged. Do not plant the rhizomes too deep, but so that they protrude a few centimeters from the ground. Since the iris usually gets along well in poor soil, fertilization is rarely necessary for the formation of the flowers. As care you can:

  • Cut off the faded inflorescences a hand's breadth above the ground
  • loosen the soil around the plants with a suitable tool
  • use deposited compost for gentle fertilization and work it into the soil when hoeing

tips and tricks

Immediately after division, irises can take a break from flowering. On the other hand, freshly transplanted specimens usually bloom all the more magnificently in the second or third year.

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