Snails, slugs, and iris borer

-When I see garden decor in the stores or online, I often see "snail decor".  Planters, garden flags...many are adorned with pictures of a cute little snail.  When I started growing irises and flowers about 16 years ago, I loved snails.  Now...not so much.  Snails are not a gardener's best friend.  When it comes to snails, slugs, and iris borer, each can pose a threat to your iris garden.

Not long after I put in my garden beds, I noticed that some leaves started to look wet, particularly the middle leaves.  When I pulled the leaves apart, they were a slimy mess.  I had no idea what was causing the leaf damage, so I cut the leaves down and sprayed the leaves with my special bleach mix (which fixes everything).  The spray seemed to fix the problem and the plants seemed fine.  But last year, the damage was particularly bad in one of my favorite varieties - Fairy's Prom Dress.  It looked like I was going to lose the plant completely.  So after doing some research, I went to Lowe's and purchased some Corry's Slug and Snail Killer.  After two applications, Fairy's Prom Dress was cured and this year bloomed very well.  I highly recommend this, and will likely be purchasing some more this year. (I don't get a commission off any of the products I mention in my posts).

Iris borer is a completely different threat, and one that most iris growers fear.  I've seen growers write online how their entire iris beds have been wiped out from iris borer. The key is too keep your beds clean.  I'm including some links below on how to identify if you have borer/borer prevention, and how to treat if your beds have a borer infestation.

Garden Links-
https://dengarden.com/gardening/How-to-Rid-Your-Garden-of-Iris-Borers

https://www.bayscape.net/garden-snail-garden-slug/

https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/annualperennial/iris/leavesspots.html