CULTIVATING: Cultivate shallowly. Keep your iris free of weeds and do not allow neighboring plants and 
shrubs to encroach upon them. Remember, they should have sunlight right down to the Rhizome. Remove the 
outer leaves as they brown. At all times keep litter, old iris leaves, grasses, etc., away from the rhizomes. 
Clean cultivation is the greatest precaution against most iris troubles and pests. 
WATERING: Newly set plants need moisture at the roots under the thick fleshy rhizome. Water well after 
planting and then keep moderately moist until well established and growing. Water at fairly long intervals 
in dry weather. Established plants require very little water, and may be left all summer without water, but 
an occasional soaking will give more increase and better blooms in the spring. Keep moderately moist be- 
fore and during blooming season to produce the best flowers. 
IRIS TROUBLES: Root rot is the most extensive, generally caused by excessive moisture, poor drainage or sour 
soil. See that your iris are well drained and sunny. In outbreaks of rot, remove the soft portions (we use a 
peach pitter for cutting out rot). Dust cleanly scoured portion with Arasan and expose the wound to the air 
and sun. There is no need to dig up your plant. Leaf spot occurs at times - usually after a warm rain. Spray 
with the following formula and control Leaf Spot, Aphids, Thrip: For a 3 gallon sprayer use 6 tablespoonsful 
of 50% wettable DDT; 2 level tablespoonsful DuPont Spreader Sticker, 3 level tablespoonsful Fermate, 11 
tablespoonsful nicotine sulphate. Mix DDT and Fermate into paste - seperately, then add nicotine sulphate 
(a liquid) and the liquid spreader sticker. Add water to fill the sprayer and keep the mixture well agitated, 
as the Fermate will settle if it is not kept agitated. You may have to spray several times to get control if 
you have badly affected plants. Another good control for leaf spot and aphids is the Bordeau Mixture and 
Black Leaf 40 and DuPont Spreader Sticker. Use according to directions. 
SIZE OF RHIZOMES: The size of an Iris rhizome depends largely upon the variety. While some very fine 
varieties produce large rhizomes, some of our most lovely and free-flowering varieties always produce small 
rhizomes, no matter where they are grown. We give No. 1 top size rhizomes, but they will not all be uni- 
formly large. 
MINIATURE BEARDED IRIS: Being shallow rooted, these may be planted slightly deeper than the Tall Beards, 
the fertilizing may be reduced in half and cultivated less deeply, and they may be planted six inches apart. 
Otherwise treat the same as the Tall Beards. 
REMONTANT OR TWICE FLOWERING IRIS: They require full sun for the maximum of fall bloom, and should 
be given a little added fertilizer after flowering in the spring to bring on the fall bloom, otherwise treat as 
Tall Beards. 
ONOCOCYCLUS, REGELIA AND ONCOGELIA IRIS: Select a sunny, well drained spot. Incorporate hydrated 
lime and bonemeal in the soil. Plant on a ridge to insure drainage, covering rhizome %4’’. In cold regions 
mulch over the winter with excelsior, straw or other light airy material. A dry resting period after flowering 
is necessary, so if your garden is not dry in summer, dig rhizomes after foilage has died down and store in 
dry packing material until time to plant - which should be late in the fall after the first rains. 
JAPANESE, LOUISIANAS AND OTHER BEARDLESS IRIS: Japanese Iris are gross feeders, and to do their best 
they require a great deal of fertilizer and a lot of water during the growing season. They also require an 
acid soil. Well rotted barnyard manure is the best fertilizer. Bone meal and lime are injurious to these Iris 
and must be avoided. A liberal quantity of peat should be added to the soil, compost is also excellent. Full 
sun is essential for the best results, although they will stand some shade during part of the day. If planted 
in the garden with other plants, it is best to dig a bed about 16” deep and refill the bed with rich garden 
soil throughly mixed with about one quarter peat and one quarter well-rotted manure. The crown of the 
plant should be placed two inches below the surface, and the roots should be well spread out. They should 
be kept well watered after they are planted, until they are well established. Keep them well watered right 
up to and through the flowering season. You will notice that the method of handling the Japanese and 
other Beardless Iris is just the reverse of the treatment required for the Bearded Iris. 
DUTCH IRIS: Plant 4’ to 5” deep in any good well drained garden soil. Bone meal may be incorporated in 
the soil, or any good commercial fertilizer or well rotted barnyard manure. The bulbs like to dry out and 
rest after the blooming season and may be lifted after the foilage dies down and stored until fall. 
We hope these suggestions will be of some value. If we can be of any further help please call on us any time 
3 
