We're passionate about health, fitness and a positive lifestyle
Is dietes grandiflora a NZ native?
by
Dietes Grandiflora is a South African native iris. It has long rigid sword shaped leaves that are held in a fan shape. Leave are dark green growing to a height of 1m. Flowers have large white outer petals with yellow nectar guides and violet central segments.
Dietes bicolor (African iris) is native to, well, South Africa, and therefore to neither North America nor Australia.
What is the difference between dietes grandiflora and Dietes Iridioides?
iridioides both have white flowers marked with yellow and violet, and appear similar in photographs, but they are quite different: those of grandiflora are much larger, last three days, and have dark spots at the base of the outer tepals, while those of iridioides are small, last only one day, and lack the spots.
Should you cut back African iris?
Pruning away the damaged foliage in spring will revive the plant’s good looks. Simply snip off the dead leaves at the base using sharp, pointed pruning shears or scissors. Be careful not to snip any foliage surrounding the damaged leaves because it can create bare patches in the plant that cannot be corrected.
Is dietes grandiflora a NZ native? – Related Questions
What month do you cut back iris?
In mid summer, when the plants begin to look ratty, cut all the foliage down by half to create “fans” of leaves. Always cut at an angle. At the end of the growing season, after the leaves have been killed by a few fall frosts, completely remove all foliage. Most of iris diseases overwinter on the leaf debris.
How do you prune Dietes?
Pruning Dietes Grandiflora
Pruning can be done year-round to help control size, remove spent flowers and encourage blooming in the following season. Spent stems, leaves and flowers can be removed once they begin to dry out. Flowers and seed pods can be deadheaded to prevent spreading and encourage additional bloom.
Can Dietes be divided?
Dietes species are easily divided; this should be done in early spring before the plants become too active. Once dug up, the individual fans of leaves provide a good indicator as to where to split each plant into new sets of leaves and rhizomes.
Should you cut down iris leaves after they bloom?
Once the iris blooms have faded, cut the old stems down into the leaves. This removes the less-than-attractive stalk and removes developing seeds so that they won’t produce seedlings throughout the garden. As long as the foliage is green and attractive leave it in the garden.
Should iris leaves be cut back in the fall?
‘Irises typically die away as the temperatures get cooler, so it is a good idea to start pruning and cutting back your iris plants in fall,’ explains Rachel. ‘You should begin cutting irises back after flowering and the blooms have all begun to fade.
Cut back the leaves and stems of your iris plantings with a sharp knife or clippers after the leaves have turned yellow and become droopy.
Clear the iris bed of all plant debris including leaves and decaying matter.
Remove the straw or hay mulch immediately if the weather begins to warm up.
How do you trim iris in winter?
Can I mow off my iris?
Can I cut the flower stalk back? A: After your irises have bloomed, you can indeed cut down the flower stalk; this process is known as “deadheading”. You can use a clean knife or pair of utility scissors for this process, if they are too thick to snap off by hand.
How long do iris plants live?
Iris leaves are constantly being renewed, and roots are not long-lived either; they live about a year, and after they die, the older portion of the rhizome simply sits on top of the ground, anchored by the actively-growing regions at the tips where new roots are always forming. Irises multiply in two phases.
Why are my irises flopping over?
Flopping iris indicate it’s time to divide the clump, especially if this has not been done within the past three years. Iris also will fall over if they are growing in too much shade or if they have been over-fertilized with a high-nitrogen mix that will spur foliar growth at the expense of flower development.
What do you do with iris plants in autumn?
Remove any diseased or brown leaves when you see them, and in autumn, cut off any old or dying leaves. Old clumps of irises should be divided every 3 to 5 years in July or after flowering before they become overcrowded and flowering is affected.
Once you have trimmed the leaves back, leave the plant alone. If you live in a cold climate, cover the iris bed with mulch or straw for winter.
Can iris stay in ground over winter?
Because they’re prone to dehydration and can withstand freezing temperatures, they’re usually left in the ground for overwintering instead of being lifted.
Will iris survive winter?
While you wouldn’t want to go planting iris bulbs in winter, if you live in a cold climate, you’ll be happy to know that these popular perennial flowers are capable of surviving chilly weather and even frost.
Where is the best location to plant iris?
Irises will bloom best in full sun, meaning at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day. They can tolerate as little as half a day of sun, but it’s not ideal. Without enough light, they won’t bloom well. Bearded irises must not be shaded out by other plants; many do best in a special bed on their own.
Will iris come back every year?
Some gardeners prefer to treat them as annuals and plant fresh bulbs every fall but if the iris bulbs are happy in a sunny, well-drained spot, they will bloom for many years. Remove the blooms as they fade and the foliage will continue to grow through the summer, providing nutrition for next year’s bloom.
