Do you have to dig up iris bulbs every year?
A normal part of caring for iris bulbs is digging them up and putting them in other areas of the garden. Iris plants that are healthy and thriving will need to be divided to keep those blooms popping each season.
Flower Bulbs : How to Store Iris Bulbs - YouTube
It will not damage the prepared rhizomes to remain out of the ground for two weeks. Select a planting location with good drainage that receives a minimum of 5 to 6 hours of sun every day or that is in full sun. Iris may be planted in a bed or as clumps between other plants.
Late July through mid August is the best time to plant, move or divide iris. Iris is one of the most popular perennials in the garden and easy to grow. Although they provide pleasure for many years with little care, periodic dividing is an important cultural practice for maintaining plant health.
Irises multiply readily by growing new rhizomes that mature quickly. Because they multiply so quickly, irises are easy to share. Every few years, irises should be divided just like daylilies to rejuvenate the plant.
- Dry the roots thoroughly and remove excess soil.
- Dust them with an anti-fungal powder.
- Wrap each bulb in newspaper and store in a box in a cool dark place.
- Check them regularly for any signs of damage.
Storing iris rhizomes is best done in a cool, dark, and dry place, such as the refrigerator, if you acquired them too close to winter for planting. Dust the rhizomes with sulfur powder, and then place them in plastic bags with several holes cut into the bags.
How to Dig Up Iris Bulbs. The best time to dig up iris bulbs or rhizomes in the garden is between the last days of summer and early fall. Lift the clump of iris plants from the ground with a spade or fork. Try to lift the entire bulb to ensure the plant survives the move.
Placing them in the sun allows them to be dried without excessive damage, as is the case with artificial heating. If it isn't sunny on the days that you're storing them, then you should place them near a window and continue drying them for about three to four days.
Iris plants are best cut back in the fall. Spent flower stalks can be removed in spring after the plants finish blooming, but the foliage should be left standing through summertime. In mid-autumn, cut the leaves back to about 3″ long above the soil line.
What happens if you don't divide irises?
It seems like too much work and, if you don't do it, the beds become so thick and overgrown that the plants stop blooming. There is an alternative to dividing every three to four years: thinning. All you need is a sharp, heavy-bladed knife or similar tool.
How to Transplant Iris - YouTube
Such plants also spread by rhizomes, and irises are no exception. While some rhizomatous plants, like bamboo, spread rapidly and even invasively, the iris spreads fairly gradually—one of its main virtues for gardeners. But, as iris rhizomes spread, they become crowded.
Since the eggs overwinter on the foliage, it's critical that you cut back irises in the fall. Trim off the leaves all the way back to the rhizomes, and toss them in the trash or bury them.
However, you should not cut down or tie up the irises' leaves at this point, even if they are a bit unsightly. After an iris blooms (same goes for tulips, daffodils and other bulbs or corms), it needs to store up energy for the following year's flowers.
This gives the plants room to grow over the next two to three years. After two to four years, the irises become crowded from new growth and can stop blooming.
Allow the frost to kill the canna foliage, but do not allow the rhizomes to freeze. Carefully lift the plants and cut off the dead tops, then hose off excess soil and allow the plant to dry. Wrap the rhizomes in newspaper and store them in paper bags or cardboard boxes at 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Placing them in the sun allows them to be dried without excessive damage, as is the case with artificial heating. If it isn't sunny on the days that you're storing them, then you should place them near a window and continue drying them for about three to four days.
Leave the iris rhizomes there for one to two weeks. After the iris rhizomes have cured, coat them in powdered sulfur or other anti-fungal powder. This will help prevent rot from setting in on the rhizomes. The last step in storing iris rhizomes is to wrap each rhizome in a piece of newspaper and place in a box.
If you're wondering how deep do you plant iris bulbs, treat them in the same way as tulips; choose a sunny site with well-drained soil for the best display and plant the bulbs from September through December before it freezes.
