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| Purple Iris, 2006, my Hoopa Garden. |
Irises make an important contribution to the garden environment by attracting a variety of predatory ground beetles. The larva of these beetles live in the soil, where they consume slug eggs and slug larva.
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| Dutch Iris, 2015, from Growing Together Community Gardens. |
The key to putting ground beetle attracting Irises to work for you most effectively, is to plant just a few each of a large variety of Irises that bloom at different times, and spread them around the garden. The longer you can keep the adult ground beetles happy, the more likely they will be to lay eggs in your soil. Ground beetles also prefer soil rich in organic matter, with strategically placed sections of rotten limbs or other untreated wood, to use as daytime shelter and nursery areas for egg laying.
Learn more about developing healthy organic matter rich soil and attracting beneficial insects by clicking on the 'labels' found directly under the share option buttons found beneath this post.
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Text and photos copyright 2016, Harvest McCampbell. Please feel free to use the buttons below to share. All other rights reserved.
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