If you're on sand I guess you're experienced at adding organic matter ~ every year. That's the biggest necessary job when gardening on sand. Have your iris been blooming ok?

Since iris are sun lovers make sure your fruit trees are planted far enuf apart to allow space between their mature branches ~~ to allow sunlight to hit the beds.

Fertilizing --- that is so variable. I also dig in fertilizer when doing a bed. I use bonemeal, bulb food, and superphosphate, depending on what I have available. I have heard an additional fertilizing 18 weeks before bloom is beneficial for a spectacular show. If you forget, sprinkle a low nitrogen fertilizer according to directions right after bloom.

No, they have not been doing well. Several years ago, in North Texas, a man who had been raising irises let them go to rack and ruin. I dug them up and put them in my 1 acre small garden. Then I went on the road and also left them.

I've added mulch, fertilizer, etc when I was home...but that was only every four months or so. No one watered or did anything when I was gone. Now we are back full time and I want to do it right.

I don't know what I have, but they were big and healthy, now many are gone and what's left looks terrible. I spent the last five days pulling up the weeds and getting to see what is left.

When I planted them, since most were not blooming, I planted them in about the same clumps they were in originaly. I put them in rows, in checkerboard fashion, hoping to be able to fill in after they bloomed. I do know the first year, they were beautiful. Most bloomed in the spring, but different ones were blooming most of the summer.

My daughter is planning on planting about 8 fruit trees interpersed with the irisis. Currently they have full sun, and in the summer in Texas that's a lot..as I said we probably average 99-100 July, August and maybe half of Sept.

I really appreciate your reply. Hopefully, I can get what's left back to snuff.

I would let them get morning sun until about 1 or 2 o'clock. I live in The foot hills of California and when it turns hot here the blooms on iris just fade away but I notice that the ones that had afternoon shade looked better and lasted longer. I also noticed that the iris I watered with soaker hoses once every other week look better than the ones that got 40 minutes of water every week. Watering also help the iris increase and the re-bloomer re-bloom.

Thanks, I am concerned with the hot intense midsun here. Another question, since several...make that most...of them don't look so well, should I dig them up and replant them now or wait? We usually do not have cold...in the high 30'3 to mid 40's until late December and Jan?

I think another problem with them is someone..maybe me, I'm too old to remember what I did..put wood bark mulch on them late last spring...I've pulled what's left off.

Since you've got 2 months before freezes, yes, you can dig now, if you have a bed prepared.

If your bed isn't prepared it seems like a lot of work for little payoff. Since you have an acre, designate an area for a huge compost accumulation. Once it ages an year as much as possible can be added without fear of root burn or robbing the plants of nutrients.

Nutrients run right thru sand --- that is the reason for organic matter. To help retain water and nutrients.

A friend who grows on decomposed granite (coarse sand) has finally achieved a gorgeous garden. She has a truckload of compost delivered every year. Thankfully they have a rototiller. And a large family.

Thanks for the suggestion. I think I'll go that route, since I have plenty of room, unfortunately since many of them died completely. Might as well do it right this time, huh?