Do iris have trouble with weeds?

Question

I have a patch of iris and they have been lovely for a couple of years but this year the weeds and quack grass are so bad I'm going to have to dig up the entire garden. Is this going to be a ongoing job?

Answer 1

Weeds will grow in all flower beds, bark beds, etc.  They grow everywhere all the time.

Don't ever used herbicide to take them out, you'll damage the soil and your flowers.  Pick them by hand, the more often you do it the less you will have to.

It helps to cultivate the soil a little bit too, keep it soft and moist, that way when weeds come around you can just rip em up root and all with bare hands, they don't dig in under rocks and dried out dirt.

Answer 2

A garden fabric would keep the weeds down.  Cut holes for the irises and anchor the fabirc with pins that are sold near the fabric, rocks or soil.  Fabric works better than plastic because it allows water to penetrate.  I work at Lowe's and sell this stuff.  The weeds will continue to grow.  What is good for the irises helps the weeds too.

Answer 3

I would definitely recommend using a mulch around your irises.  Whether you use bark, rocks or a groundcover like thyme or vinca, you will definitely reduce and control weeds around the flowers.

If you do dig up the garden, try splitting up your iris while you're at it.  Iris benefit from being broken up into smaller clumps every few years and if you are able to break them up and have more plants as a result, it will make weeding easier.

I wouldn't go crazy with herbicides, though.  Try suppressing the weeds naturally-- pull them up and try to squeeze them out with something that looks nice but grows just as vigorously.