GARDEN CAPSULE
The challenge: The bearded iris plants bloomed beautifully this spring, but now the plants look awful, with some leaves dead and others spotted or streaked.
The solution: Pull out the shriveled iris leaves. Cut any remaining dead bloom stalks to the ground. Use garden scissors to trim off spotted or streaked leaves. If all the foliage looks bad, cut it back to about 4 inches above ground on affected plants. If any of the marred leaves also have chewed, jagged edges, your irises may be infested with iris borers. Clip these leaves to the ground and peel each one apart. If you find any caterpillars inside the leaf layers, squash them before they do their dirty work: tunneling into the iris rhizomes below. As a further protection against borers and foliage diseases, make a note now to cut all iris foliage to the ground and remove it in the fall, after all the iris leaves are dead. Avoid mulching irises; a layer of mulch makes the rhizomes more likely to rot.
Pluses: A Midwest favorite, bearded irises are worth a little extra maintenance for the beauty they add to the spring garden.
Minuses: Bearded iris plants require regular maintenance to maintain their good looks, particularly in midsummer when the plants are semi-dormant.
Sources: The American Iris Society offers additional information on planting and maintaining all types of irises at www.irises.org.