Iris advice

missimaxo

Last summer my dad got rid of his pond and gave me 3 baskets of irises after they had finished flowering. He has successfully planted them in his garden in the past and they look beautiful.

Unfortunately due to time and weather I never did anything with them apart from keep them watered. I am now trying to sort out my garden and that includes these.

I am a garden novice.... they have been in the pots a few years and fill the pots to bursting. Can anyone advice what I do with them and when would be the best time... I presume they need splitting and replanting but I don't know how deep or how far apart.

I cant ask my dad as he is due to have an op at the moment and if I ask he will insist on helping which would be too much for him!

Thanks

Captain_Bluebear

Hi there
missimaxo... I hope this helps!http://http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/iris/2002045002020707.html

Captain_Bluebear

Ok... So sorry...That's not working. That website must be off line. v sorry! x

Miss_Havisham

irises don't like to be planted too deep, I've always planted mine so that the tuber (or is it rhizome ?) is half (ish) buried and the top surface is uncovered so it can be ripened by the sun. I understand that this exposure helps the rhizome make nutrients which are stored to produce flowers and growth.

I divide big clumps in half or thirds but not too small because I like the effect or a group of them.

Well, this works for me, I've never checked if professional gardeners have different ideas !!

Miss H

madjackslam

I think you need to be a bit careful about which kind of irises they are. If they've been in a pond they probably won't be, for example, bearded irises, which like the kind of treatment Miss Havisham describes. Instead, they may be something like Iris pseudacorus, care of which is described here - http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=3237, and which will appreciate something a bit soggier.

Miss_Havisham

good point madjackslam !

dogstarheaven

hope no-one minds my hijacking the original thread but i've put in a water iris around about May last year but noticed it's disappeared this winter so i'm wondering if they're like that and reappear in the spring or is has it died??

cyclonebri1

Miss_Havisham wrote: »

irises don't like to be planted too deep, I've always planted mine so that the tuber (or is it rhizome ?) is half (ish) buried and the top surface is uncovered so it can be ripened by the sun. I understand that this exposure helps the rhizome make nutrients which are stored to produce flowers and growth.

I divide big clumps in half or thirds but not too small because I like the effect or a group of them.

Well, this works for me, I've never checked if professional gardeners have different ideas !!

Miss H

I think you have it wrong, irises that thrive in a pool are totally different in character, to bulb or rhizome rooted "dry" varieties.

They are marginals, they need their roots constantly saturated.
If you want to try to keep them going in the garden then you bneed to create a non draining area, say a submerged sink or bath or a piece of pond liner, and keep it consantly wet.

They like 3" of water over the plant. (pond owner)