How to Grow Iris lactea? A Detailed Guide to Cultivation Methods and Precautions

Iris lactea is surely familiar to everyone, and it is widely distributed in our country. Iris lactea is loved by people for its high ornamental value and great medicinal value. In the past, most of it grew wild, but now many people also cultivate it. However, before planting it, you need to have an in-depth understanding of its cultivation methods.

How to Grow Iris lactea

1. Propagation: Iris lactea is usually propagated by division or cuttings, and can also be propagated by seeds. Division propagation is mostly carried out during the dormant period in early winter or early spring, cutting propagation is mostly done in spring, and sowing is done immediately after the seeds are harvested.

2. Soil: Iris lactea grows poorly in acidic soil, so when cultivating Iris lactea you should choose humus-rich clay loam, or an alkaline soil mixed with lime. Before planting, the soil should be thoroughly plowed, and decomposed compost plus a small amount of bone meal, plant ash, etc. should be applied as a base fertilizer. In addition, when planting iris, it should not be too deep, and the rhizome should be pressed firmly.

3. Temperature: The optimum growth temperature for Iris lactea is 15-17°C, and it likes a sunny and humid environment. However, if the light is too strong, appropriate shading should be provided, and if the humidity is too high, the humidity can be reduced by heating and ventilation.

4. Watering: After planting Iris lactea, water it thoroughly once, and afterward water according to the wetness or dryness of the soil; generally it is best for the soil to be slightly dry. Do not let the soil become waterlogged or stay too wet for a long time, so as to avoid root rot or disease. To keep the plant looking attractive, the leaves can be washed.

5. Fertilizing: From spring sprouting and growth until before flowering, Iris lactea should be given 1-2 applications of decomposed dilute cake fertilizer water or compound flower fertilizer, and after the flowers fade it is best to apply 1 more application of liquid fertilizer.

Cultivation Methods for Iris lactea

1. Soil and fertilizer. Iris lactea is quite adaptable to soil, and for cultivation sandy loam with good drainage is sufficient. Before transplanting, remove the weeds from the soil to ensure nutrients are not lost, and ensure sufficient base fertilizer so that Iris lactea can grow vigorously for a long time.

2. Transplanting of Iris lactea. To make Iris lactea grow quickly and robustly, it must be transplanted. The transplanting time is in September; when it gets slightly cold in November, plastic can be used as cover for insulation. During the growth period in autumn and winter, Iris lactea often develops spot-like leaf spot disease, which can be controlled simply by broadcasting plant ash.

3. Harvesting of Iris lactea. Because artificial cultivation allows Iris lactea to be produced in large quantities, and Iris lactea itself is a vegetable that can be harvested all year round, once planted it can be harvested continuously for many years, so it should be harvested on time.

Precautions for Iris lactea

1. Pay attention when cutting and harvesting. Be sure to keep the short tender shoots and buds, as well as the tender tips after cutting, then store them in a damp, shaded pottery vat, and spray with fine water to prevent wilting; they can also be eaten.

2. Precautions for harvesting. After each harvest, nitrogen fertilizer should be applied promptly to ensure sufficient nutrients.

3. Precautions for transplanting. When transplanting, plastic should be used as cover, and after Qingming the plastic film should be removed so that Iris lactea can grow naturally, but attention should be paid to the management of fertilizing and watering.

Propagation Methods for Iris lactea

Seed propagation method: Prepare the nursery land by breaking up the soil and raking it level, make beds 2 m wide, sow the seeds in strip-shaped furrows, with a soil covering thickness 2 times the seed diameter, a seeding rate of about 15 g per sq m, and a seedling yield of more than 300,000 plants per mu; they can reach physiological maturity in 2-3a and bloom and bear fruit.

Division propagation method: Iris lactea can be divided when its rhizomes elongate and grow large; generally it can be divided once every 2-4a, in spring, autumn, or after flowering. When dividing the rhizomes, each section should carry 2-3 buds; after cutting, smear the cut surface with plant ash or sulfur, let it dry slightly in the shade, and then plant. Generally, a row spacing of 15-500px is used, with about 30 seedlings per sq m.

Iris lactea has very strong vitality and strong immunity to pests and diseases, so there is no need to specially prevent pests and diseases. However, during cultivation, its water and fertilizer need to be controlled to some extent. The propagation methods of Iris lactea have most commonly been seed propagation and division propagation, and everyone can choose one according to their own needs.