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IRISES THAT BLOOM MORE THAN ONCE?By Linda L. Bartell, Region 6, Zone 6ANow that you’ve been bitten by the iris-virus (a very serious affliction!), no doubt you’ll be delighted to know that some irises actually bloom in more than one season. At first counted among the oddities (or novelties) in the iris world, rebloomers are now being hybridized for cold hardiness, disease resistance and, of course, beauty. At present, there are more than 1,000 cultivars that rebloom, in various climate zones, and many of them rival in color and form the best of the ‘oncers’ or cultivars that bloom only in the spring. There are even hybridizers whose work is primarily focused on improving the quality and increasing the number of dependable, beautiful reblooming cultivars. Rebloomers (or remontants, as they are sometimes called) are found in all bearded iris varieties – from miniature dwarf to tall. A few of the beardless varieties (like Siberians) that bloom a second time are called ‘repeaters.’ If you’re interested in trying your hand at growing rebloomers, the first step is to learn which cultivars rebloom in your climate zone. The quickest way would be to go to the Reblooming Iris Society website. Also, several hybridizers’ catalogs have zone information on the rebloomers that they carry. Rebloomers need, first of all, to be established: minimum one year in one place in your garden. Some may take another year or two before they’ll put on their rebloom show. For optimum results: A) The soil must be rich and well drained. B) They must receive a full day of sunshine, if possible - minimum four hours. The more sunshine, the more rebloom (and you must remember to take into consideration the position of the sun in relation to your rebloomers in the fall. C) They need extra water and fertilizer. It’s best (but not necessary), to keep your rebloomers together, as they need more water and fertilizer – two things that could have a detrimental affect on spring-only bloomers. Most iris go dormant in mid-summer, but you don’t want your rebloomers to do so, therefore, you must make sure they never go more than a few weeks (or less in a hot, dry climate) without water. Fertilize six weeks before spring bloom, as with oncers, then immediately after bloom, and, finally, once or twice with liquid foliar fertilizer (such as Miracle Gro or Peters) beginning in late August or September to give them that extra boost they need to go through another bloom cycle. If freezing weather threatens your fall bloomstalks, snap them off at ground level or cut them as close to the ground as possible. If the buds are a good size and showing color, bring the bloomstalks in the house and put them in a vase of tepid water. They should open. Or, if you know the cold snap is predicted for only a night or two, carefully cover them until morning. Rebloomers tend to be more vigorous than oncers (for obvious reasons) and also tend to bloom first in the spring. Whereas spring-only bloomers don’t need to be divided more than once every 3- 5 years, rebloomers usually need division every 2- 3 years – and to keep the rebloom going, always leave in place a couple rhizomes from the clump to be divided. Then, while your newly replanted rhizomes are getting established elsewhere, your original (but thinned out) clump will continue to rebloom without interruption. Some remontants will rebloom as early as a month after spring bloom. Others won’t bloom again until the fall. A third category, (called all-season rebloomers), can rebloom several times (or even every month) before being cut down by a hard frost. So far, there are about twenty or so of these all-season (or continuous) rebloomers. A fourth category is ‘sporadic rebloomers.’ These unpredictable irises will rebloom – you guessed it – only when they feel like it. Oh…and one more thing. Each garden within a certain climate zone can have what we call ‘microclimates’ – mini-environments created by the surrounding conditions (ie. location in relation to a sheltering building, trees, etc., or hills, depressions, direction of wind or sun, etc.) where a cultivar could rebloom, even though not recorded as doing so in your climate zone. You might find yourself very pleasantly surprised to find an iris trying to rebloom because it is positively affected by these microclimates. Example: A clump of iris might rebloom for you along the south side of your house – given an extra boost from the southern sun exposure and the considerable protection from the elements by the building itself – and yet refuse to rebloom in your backyard garden!) Oops…almost forgot… If an iris fails to rebloom for you after you’ve given it all the tender loving care mentioned above (and after you’ve made certain it’s been reported to rebloom in your climate zone), try moving it. In spite of the fact that most rebloomers perform better after becoming established, if you notice a cultivar seems to be unhappy in one spot (because it’s not performing), try moving it. I pulled out an entire two-year-old clump of the SDB Baby Blessed because it had only bloomed once for me (spring bloom, not rebloom). We rototilled and fertilized that entire bed and replanted a piece of BB a few feet away from where it had been originally. As I write this article, roughly three months later, that same piece of Baby Blessed has a beautiful flower on a fully formed budstalk. Another (even smaller) piece of the original clump that I potted up is ready to bloom as well. Guess the moral of the story is this: Don’t be afraid to experiment with fertilizer, water, location, etc. Now, irisarians, go forth and learn which iris will rebloom in your climate zone, and get started! It’s easy to grow iris. The challenge (and added excitement!), however, is found in achieving the magic of rebloom. And it IS magic. Are you willing to take up the gauntlet?
Some dependable rebloomers for southeast Michigan:
Miniature Dwarf Bearded
Standard Dwarf Bearded
Intermediate Bearded
Border Bearded
Miniature Tall Bearded
Tall Bearded
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