Keep roots/rhizome submerged in a bucket of water or weak seaweed solution, if not planting immediately. Do not submerge the foliage. Louisiana’s can stay like this for a week or 2 but it is always best to plant as soon as possible.

Louisiana’s are a hardy perennial plant that are easy to grow and maintain and reward you with exquisite flowers in spring. They are semi to evergreen in Australia. Their main growing times are in spring and again in autumn. Louisiana’s go into a semi-dormancy in summer. In winter the foliage may become quite short but will shoot up as the weather warms. If they are allowed to dry out in the summer they may go into dormancy which will negatively impact on their flowering and may even cause the plant to die.

They will grow in cold to tropical areas, so can be grown almost Australia wide.

POSITION; Louisiana’s require full sun for 6 to 8 hours a day for flowering.

SOIL; they don’t mind if the soil is loamy, sandy or clay but what is required, is an acidic, compost rich and constantly moist soil to grow and flower well as this is their natural environment. Louisiana’s can be grown in pots in ponds, on the edges of ponds or lakes, boggy areas of the garden or indeed in a garden bed that is kept moist and mulched.

PLANTING; In ground. If you do not have constantly moist garden soil, you are still able to grow Louisiana’s in the garden by digging out the area you want to plant them to a depth of 30-40cm, line it with very heavy duty plastic or pond liner then back fill with soil that is enriched with well broken down compost and aged cow manure. Do this a few weeks before planting. Do not use chicken manure and do not add lime to the soil.   Plant 50cm apart with the rhizome 5cm below the surface. Keep mulched to conserve moisture and to protect the rhizomes from the sun.

 In Tubs. Another way to grow Louisiana’s in the garden is to grow them in tubs. Drill 2 holes in the sides about half way up. Fill with good quality azalea, blueberry potting mix and plant and mulch. This is another great way to get the Louisiana’s into the garden as water is held in the bottom of the tub giving the Louisiana’s the conditions they love. Also easier to move around so you can enjoy the flowers when in bloom.

In pots for ponds. Use a good quality potting mix suitable for azaleas or blueberries. Use a good size pot that will give the plant room to grow. Potted Louisiana Iris may need to be re-potted each year in late summer - autumn or very early spring. If needed, place some bricks in the bottom of the pond to place the pot on so that the foliage is not submerged more than 1-2c.

FERTILISE; Louisiana’s are hungry plants so fertilise (but don’t over do it) with an azalea and camellia fertiliser in late winter – early spring to help promote flowering and again in early autumn to replenish the plant after flowering. Use pond safe fertiliser tablets in your pond pots if you have fish.

DIVIDING; The best time for digging and dividing Louisiana’s is late summer through to autumn. For in ground plants this will need to be done every 3 years. Pots may need to be done yearly. Dig up the clump using garden fork or remove from the pot. Be careful not to damage the rhizomes before you have a chance to inspect them for growth points. Break or cut off the young rhizomes -- which have new green growth at their tips -- from the large, old rhizome. Discard the old rhizome and replant the young rhizomes.