Cultivation methods and precautions for Irises
Introduction: This article covers the cultivation methods and precautions for Irises, as well as related information on understanding the watering methods for these green plants. Detailed introduction follows below.
Are you always envious of others' lush and elegant Irises on their desks and tea tables, while yours always die? Recently, someone asked on the public account: After cultivating Irises for a year, they are getting fewer and fewer, although they haven't died yet, they are almost there. Is it because of the wrong soil, or because no mountain spring water was used, or is it the pot's problem? Today, let's talk about this issue and how to make Irises thrive on your desk and tea table.
Image: Iron Bone
○ How to cultivate Irises for beginners?
Start with basic categories, such as Tiger Whiskers and Money Plant, to get a feel for it. The first step is to keep it alive, which is a process, so don't rush. Don't buy expensive varieties for beginners, but pay special attention to the pot, which should have good breathability, such as purple sand or ceramic pots, and not glazed ones. Older purple sand pots are particularly good, and they are expensive for a reason: the surface of old purple sand actually has "pores" that allow it to breathe, which helps the plants grow better.
○ What to do if Iris leaves turn yellow?
Water, soil, sunlight, and ventilation conditions all affect the growth of Irises, and improper conditions can cause the leaves to turn yellow. The most important way to solve this is to find the root cause, otherwise it won't be cured.
Image: Literati Space
○ How to change the soil?
If it's granular soil, change it when it turns to powder. For self-mixed garden soil, change it every year because the nutrients are gone and the soil becomes compacted. It's like farming: after harvesting a crop, you need to turn the soil and let it dry before planting the next one.
○ How to cultivate wild Irises?
Wild Irises dug from the wild, some of which are stone Irises, grow near clean spring water in nature. Such Irises can be cultivated, but attention should be paid to several issues:
First, do not immediately bring them indoors; instead, acclimatize them. This is like capturing a wild lion and locking it up; it will be uncomfortable. To me, plants are just speechless, and they show their discomfort, and when they die, it means they are uncomfortable. If you understand the habits of Irises and acclimatize them for a few years, wild Irises can become literati Irises. Wild Irises need to be gradually acclimatized because their original growth environment is in nature, with good air circulation and clean water, but our home conditions can't compare to the wild. You can place them in the courtyard and make sure the water is clean to replicate their original living conditions as much as possible.
Second, take good care of them.
Third, shape them, pairing them with stones and pots.
Fourth, cultivate a refined affection for plants.
Image: Fresh Water Room
○ Can orchid soil be used to plant Irises?
The soil for cultivating Irises should be breathable, with orchid-specific soil being the best. You can also use a mixture of vermiculite, cinders, red jade soil, and nutrient-rich soil, and the planting material should also be a mixture of these soils!
○ How to water Irises?
Water should not be directly used from tap water; it should be settled for several days to remove the dryness before use, otherwise it will damage the roots. Some people also use mountain spring water to cultivate them. Iris leaves easily rot when they come into contact with water, so it's important to trim and remove yellow leaves daily, or they can easily spread to other leaves. River water and rainwater can be used directly, as long as it's clean.
Iris cultivation methods and precautions
Image: Jinshi斋
○ How to appreciate Irises?
Irises should be "short, thin, and dense" for a good appearance. This involves the variety, with Money Plant being dense and flat, and another variety, Tiger Whiskers, being longer, thinner, and denser. Many Irises sold on Taobao are very thick and strong, which are grown in greenhouses. Greenhouse seedlings are like large cabbages, cheap. Home-grown Irises are瘦 (slim), not fertilized, and merchants want to grow them quickly.
Sometimes merchants may hold up long Irises and say, "This is good, look how long it is," but in reality, they are not elegant and not worth much, as they are rushed with chemical fertilizers.
Irises should be "shaven" in spring, trimmed to become thinner and denser. The fourteenth day of the fourth lunar month is the birthday of Irises, and I will light incense, pay homage, and then give them a haircut.
When trimming, cut from the outside circle inward, as cutting straight across may damage the roots. It should be trimmed gently, like a crew cut. After trimming, because there are wounds, it's important to spray some disinfectant, or disinfect the scissors before cutting by boiling them.
After trimming, Irises should be placed indoors, as they should not be rained on. Watering should be done by immersion or along the edges, allowing the wounds a week to heal.
Image: Shenzhen Cowboy 2014
○ Finally, pay attention to the accumulation of details
Acquiring the skill of cultivating Irises is a process of accumulating observations during daily care. Like other plants, Irises require observation of their changes. Whether the Iris is short of water, has pests or diseases, or has good ventilation all need to be observed continuously to obtain information. Based on this information, appropriate measures can be taken, and the skill of cultivating Irises will gradually accumulate.
In the process of caring for Irises, it is necessary to observe their growth more and also periodically trim their shape and leaves. For example, yellow and rotten leaves are inevitable during the growth of Irises, and they should be cleaned up promptly during the care process.
The process of caring for Irises is a process of nurturing the heart and developing one's own cultivation skills. In modern society, people's功利 hearts (utilitarian hearts) may be stronger, and their hearts may be more restless. It is precisely because of this social background that it is even more necessary to cultivate qualities such as inner peace, perseverance, impatience, and pursuit of excellence, which are essential for the cultivation of Irises.
The above is the cultivation method and precautions for Irises, and the experience of understanding the watering method of green plants, hoping to bring help to your life!