Gardeners’ Forum: “Bearded Iris”
Back to Gardeners’ ForumBearded Iris
Posted by Sheila Eldridge on Tuesday, May 26, 2009 3:59 PM ADTI have several Bearded Iris in my garden but I only get a couple that produce blooms; should I dig them up and seperate them and should I do this in the Fall or right after they bloom? Thanks for any info.
re: Bearded Iris
Posted by Karen on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 12:37 PM ADTBearded iris won't bloom if the rhizomes are too old or if the rhizomes are planted too deeply. Dig them up (iris are usually dug up and shipped by places like Schreiner's in the fall, but my grandmother used to dig them up at any time when they weren't actually blooming), cut off oldest ends of the rhizomes if you feel that old age is the problem, leaving roots enough and leaves enough to plant newer ends. Dig a largish hole and then fill the middle of the hole with dirt, leaving a "moat" around the edge of the hole. Dust in some bone meal to promote more roots, fan out the roots into the moat, and put the rhizome itself on top of the dirt hill. A lot of work, but iris like their roots deep and the very tops of their rhizomes to bake in the sun, just at soil level. Good luck to you - nothing like iris! I always think of my grandmother when I'm working on mine.
re: Bearded Iris
Posted by Susan Azano on Thursday, July 2, 2009 7:34 AM ADTI have about 25 feet of Bearded Iris against a fence. In the spring they were beautiful, but now (June-July) some leaves are brown. Can I cut the leaves back (as described when you divide them) or should I just leave them?
