Irises are a beautiful addition to any garden, and they can be grown in pots in Minnesota with the right care. To ensure your potted irises get enough sun and water, it's important to understand their needs. Irises will bloom best in full sun, which means at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a 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. Other plants should not shade bearded lilies; many do better in a special bed on their own. Although traditionally not considered a container plant, lilies can grow well in a pot, as long as it's big enough. Larger pots are ideal, as many lilies quickly establish robust root systems.
Growing irises in a container will require special attention to the needs of the plant, specifically to sunlight and irrigation. Most irises, especially bearded irises, grow best in full sun for at least 6 to 8 hours a day. However, in very hot areas, a little shade in the afternoon will help keep flower colors from fading in the heat. The iris should be planted in an area with good air circulation to help prevent disease problems.
We didn't do anything to amend the soil, we simply dug a trench with the garden tractor, put the iris in the trench and kicked and pushed the soil over the iris. We didn't plant the irises for more than three months and weren't sure if they were still alive when a family member volunteered to plant rhizomes of irises for us. The tall bearded iris has wavy edged petals or other ornaments more often than other groups of irises. Irises range from small forest groundcovers to spectacular flowers for the sunny edge and species that thrive in swampy soils.
While large lily plantations look impressive when they're in full bloom, if you're a gardener without ample space in the garden, you'll be happy to know that lilies are also quite adaptable to growing in pots. They also tolerate most common garden soils and are among the easiest lilies to grow in most regions.Gardeners can avoid many problems by providing good drainage to prevent the iris from getting wet with their feet. The different species range from low ground covers, such as Iris cristata, which is only 6 inches tall, to some of the large Japanese irises that are 3 to 4 feet tall.To ensure your potted irises get enough sun and water in Minnesota, make sure they get at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day. If you live in an area with very hot summers, you may want to provide some afternoon shade for your plants.
Additionally, make sure your pots have good drainage and that you water your plants regularly.