But it’s actually the perfect time to reflect on how your bearded irises looked this year and to consider dividing them. Rhizomes become too crowded over time, resulting in reduced flowering. The Best Way to Divide and Replant Iris. In Iowa, July or August is the best time to dig, divide, and transplant bearded irises. If possible, lift the whole mass out whole, but if you are unable to do this, carefully break the clump into smaller parts and lift these out. Once the iris rhizomes have been divided, you can replant them. The iris rhizomes should be firm and not soft. 1. As irises mature, the rhizome produces more rhizomes. Next, plant the iris rhizomes in the selected location. Reblooming irises grow faster than regular irises, so you'll need to divide them more often. If not divided, plants become overcrowded and flower production decreases. Bearded iris should be divided in the late summer when the weather starts to cool. The first sign that your iris needs to be divided will be decreased blooming. Iris Basics: Dividing and Sharing Your Irises. The iris family (Iris spp.) This will keep your home booming with color all summer long. Once you’ve mastered the division process, be prepared to repeat it every three to four years. Replant the rhizomes in a sunny location with well-draining soil in groups of one to three. © 2021 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Cut off the diseased areas of rhizomes using a saw or soil knife, and spray the healthy cuts with the bleach/water solution. Crowded plants are also more prone to disease problems. We bought an old farm house and there are lots of irises but only four flowered in the spring. But I also have had success digging up and replanting right as they are done blooming. Irises can become congested over time, which tends to inhibit flowering. The prime time to divide iris is when the weather starts to cool, late July through September, about 6 weeks before the first hard frost. Late summer is the perfect time to divide or thin your iris. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! I do better in remembering what color is where, I always say I am going to mark them while blooming and somehow never get around to it. When well cared for, iris plants will need to be divided on a regular basis. Thanks for the tips on dividing irises. Follow these tips from horticulturists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach to maintain a colorful, attractive iris planting. Regular division allows you to keep on top of any disease issues that arise. The furthest thing from your mind may be spring flowers. Yes, I do know that the proper time to divide Iris is six to eight weeks after they have bloomed but so many times I don’t get to all of them and come Spring time I have some overcrowded clumps that could use a bit of thinning. Sign up for a free trial and get access to ALL our regional content, plus the rest If the rhizome feels soft, throw it away. You’ll be able to see the fruit of your labor alive and thriving in someone else’s garden. Try not to spear or cut the rhizomes. Time to Divide Your Pacific Coast Irises – How To! Know when to divide the rhizomes. Divide irises during the summer … Mine is pretty sad. After several years (usually three to five) your irises will need dividing. To divide your iris, start by lifting the clump of iris plants out of the ground with a spade or fork. Bob Sussman 10/24/18. Sign up for our newsletter. It's important to know which irises you are seeking to divide. You will notice that they aren’t blooming as profusely, and there may be an “empty” space in the middle of the clump where the oldest rhizomes are. Keep only the ones that are firm, dry and have roots and a fan of leaves attached. Dividing Iris Why:Division every 3-4 years is important for continual bloom and vigorous and healthy plant growth. Using a pitchfork, carefully dig around the bearded iris plant, starting about a foot away from the outer-most edge. To divide irises, dig up the clump. This article applies to the bearded iris. Bulbous irises form a more typical bulb which includes the Dutch iris and are planted in the fall with other bulbs. It was a small way to say thank you for the efforts…. Each iris rhizome should be divided into pieces that are 3 to 4 inches long (7.5 to 10 cm.) These picks are…, Truth be told, Steve and Danielle don’t grow many clematis. Do NOT divide in the spring. Work the fork around the bearded iris plant and gently lift the rhizomes out of the soil. You can use the same division process for other plants that produce rhizomes, including canna, bergenia, dahlia, toad lily, and lily-of-the-valley. Don’t worry, I still get blooms. My current plants are growing beneath cedars. As you get closer to the center of the clump, you may find large sections of rhizomes that have no leaf fans. They may even stop putting up foliage and the plants may only grow foliage on the outside edges of the clump. Iris unguicularis are low-growing clump-forming irises with beardless flowers that flower in late winter and early spring. To thin, cut the leaf blades back to about 4 to 6 inches in length. It’s important to divide and replant at the right time of year. The next step in dividing iris plants is to divide the iris rhizomes. Overcrowded iris rhizomes will produce fewer flowers than uncrowded iris rhizomes. Do not remove the roots from the rhizomes. And August and September is the perfect time. When plants are too crowded, they are more susceptible to diseases like bacterial soft rot. The best time to divide irises is during late summer, usually anytime between July and th… Step 1. Begin by lifting the plants Watch above for a step-by-step guide on how to divide and replant your bearded irises. When Should You Divide Irises. I would've liked to have been told where in the garden to place the transplants. Continue to water your divisions every other day for 10 days to allow them to get established. Dig a hole where the rhizome will settle into the ground just below the ground level. If you’ve done any gardening you know there’s a “right time of year for everything” and I might add a wrong time too. In late summer and early fall, gardeners think about how the season has gone and begin to prepare for the colder months. Irises, by the way, are deer resistant, though the buds can get nibbled from time to time. The best time to divide Iris depends on what kind of iris. This goes on from mid-October through the end of November. Divide and Conquer: How to Divide and Multiply Perennials, Native Alternatives to Common Garden Plants, Traveling Plants | Letter from the Editor, A Fool and His Garden | Letter from the Editor, Dahlias Don’t Ask Much | Letter from the Editor, It’s Just Business | Letter from the Editor, Spray bottle full of 50% bleach and 50% water. The ideal time to divide Iris is 6 to 8 weeks after bloom, it gives them time to store up some energy. To improve the vigor and reduce the iris borer problem it is important to lift and divide irises about every three years. It also keeps your irises healthy and producing, . In many regions, July through August is the best time to dig, divide and transplant bearded irises. These can be discarded. Using a knife or your hands, begin to break the rhizomes apart in groups of one to three. Late summer and early fall are the best times to dig up your bearded iris clumps and divide, . But over their many, many years at Fine Gardening, they’ve researched and written a lot about this genus. It also keeps your irises healthy and producing flowers reliably. This will make it easier to see when you are breaking the clumps apart. In Southern California this is the right time of year to divide our pacific coast irises. of the member-only content library. Dividing every three to five years will help rejuvenate the planting, and encourage more blossoms for the subsequent years. Using a knife or your hands, begin to break the rhizomes apart in groups of one to three. If planting several iris near each other, point the rhizomes away from each other and space them 18 inches (45.5 cm.) Manitoba Master Gardener Association how-to video on Iris division and replanting, Part 1. Photo Wikimedia Commons: How's your iris garden looking? Bearded iris can be divided any time after flowering; this is often done in July or August in the Midwest so the replanted portions will have plenty of time to develop new roots and become established before freezing weather arrives. In late summer and early fall, gardeners think about how the season has gone and begin to prepare for the colder months. This will allow the plant to re-establish its roots without having to support a large amount of foliage at the same time. To divide irises, use a spade or garden fork to carefully lift them out of the soil. Using a shovel, dig up entire clump. The best time to plant and transplant rhizomatous iris is late July through September. Time to Divide Iris by Carol King. Choose the correct time to divide the rhizomes of the dwarf iris. Divide clumps in autumn, or wait until after flowering has finished in spring Regular division will keep the plants flowering profusely and help prevent problems with iris borer and soft rot. You must do this job post flowering, during the summer. You must be a magazine subscriber to access this feature. Check all of the divided iris rhizomes for iris borers and disease. Spread the roots out around the rhizome and then cover the roots and the rhizome with dirt. The good news is that irises are easy to divide! Large clumps can be divided to rejuvenate them if flowering has become reduced at the centre of the clump. Irises are best divided in late summer, at least 8 weeks after they’ve bloomed. Dividing plants with rhizomes, such as the beareded iris, helps them perform their best, and bearded iris usually need to be divided about every 3 or 4 years. Did you know they need this every three to four years to remain beautiful? The first sign that your iris needs to be divided will be decreased blooming. Are you sure you want to delete your notes for this recipe? Given that division can differ slightly between irises, it is important to know which irises you are seeking to divide. Ginger Plant Division : How To Divide Ginger Plants, Moving Plumeria Plants : How And When To Move A Plumeria, How To Divide Asters : Tips For Spitting Aster Plants In The Garden, Silver Torch Cactus Facts – Learn About Silver Torch Cactus Plants, Are Succulents And Cacti The Same: Learn About Cactus And Succulent Differences, What Is An Old Lady Cactus – How To Grow An Old Lady Cactus Flower, Thick Tomato Skins: What Causes Tough Tomato Skin, Fungicide For Seed Potatoes To Prevent Problems Growing Potatoes, Plants Lost To Deer: Living With Deer Damage, Epic Garden Failure – Watering Plants And Killing Plants, Cactus Houseplants: My Journey Learning To Grow Cacti. Wait until flowering is over before dividing the iris clump, discarding any old, woody rhizomes and replanting only young, healthy plants into freshly-prepared soil. More About Dividing Rhizomes of the Iris Plant. Did you notice your irises producing fewer flowers? Divide bearded irises every three to five years for optimum health. Hoping if I divide them we'll get more next year. If you have noticed that your iris are blooming less than they usually do, you may need to transplant the iris in your garden. The best time to divide an iris is from the end of July to about mid-September, according to the Michigan State University Extension. Steps to dividing your bearded irises. Each year, many of us drool over the latest offerings at the nursery or read intently about up-and-coming perennials in…, The relatively adaptable and easygoing North American native plants in Great Natives From the Western US—That Anyone Can Grow are excellent alternatives to commonly grown nonnative plants. Using pruners, cut the foliage down by half. The iris roots may look like a mass of snakes or a pile of spaghetti when they need to be divided. Finished dividing and have more rhizomes than you know what to do with? Division differs slightly. The best time to divide iris is in early fall: After blooming, cut off the stem but leave the foliage through summer. Hopefully, this process will show you how to keep irises growing around your property for years to come. Transplanting iris is a normal part of iris care. You can probably get away with dividing through mid-September. Steps. Thanks, again. The new beds should be prepared at … To prevent overcrowding, divide reblooming iris every two to three years, but take only the outside rhizomes of the plant; leave the healthy older portions of the plant intact. Perhaps it's time to divide and replant them. The next sign that you should consider transplanting your iris is if the rhizomes start heaving out of the ground. The recommended time for our region is June through July. This feature has been temporarily disabled during the beta site preview. The furthest thing from your mind may be spring flowers. Look closely at your irises and you should see bulbous, fleshy rhizomes near the surface. Water the newly transplanted iris plants well. These form a network that stores food produced by the leaves. Read on. This location should receive a good deal of sunlight and should be well draining. There are a few signs that you should consider dividing iris plants. apart. Generally, iris plants are divided every three to five years. When the leaves die back in fall, dig up the bulbs and separate them before replanting in … Cut the foliage back to 4 to 6 inches. and have at least one fan of leaves on the rhizome. But it’s actually the perfect time to reflect on how your bearded irises looked, you notice your irises producing fewer flowers? Overcrowded iris rhizomes will produce fewer flowers than uncrowded iris rhizomes. 1. Get our latest tips, how-to articles, and instructional videos sent to your inbox. Most iris plants spread by means of underground stems called rhizomes. Identify any diseased rhizomes, and lay those out separately. This can be remedied by lifting and dividing their rhizomes to give them a little more space. Water the divisions in well. If you’re wondering if now is the time to divide your rhizomes, look for these cues: The plant is … To have additional questions answered, contact Hortline at hortline@iastate.edu … Shake the dirt off as much as you can. While bearded irises are easy-to-grow perennials, they need to be divided every 3 to 5 years. Is your clump looking raggedy and overgrown? Since bearded irises are grown at soil level, this is one of the easiest plants to lift. Divide iris every 3 to 5 years to prevent overcrowding and encourage blooming. Iris loves the heat and drier weather of summer and the summer dividing will reduce the incidence of bacterial soft rot. Rest assured I have used this method for years with 100% success. In addition, plants are less likely to produce any blooms. If you have noticed that your iris are blooming less than they usually do, you may need to transplant the iris in your garden. A. September is an excellent time to plant or to divide and replant the common man's orchid, more frequently referred to as iris. Or has it simply been a long time since your irises were divided? ", Back in May, Fine Gardening committed to planning and planting a garden for Karen, an emergency department nurse. Choose the right time of year to divide. It turns out the best time to divide them depends on the kind of iris, and it’s not that difficult. Is your clump looking raggedy and overgrown? Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Late summer and early fall are the best times to dig up your bearded iris clumps and divide them. Identify any diseased rhizomes, and lay those out separately. New plants are what make gardeners’ hearts skip a beat. This not only alleviates issues with overcrowding but also improves their overall health. First, trim all of the iris leaf fans back to about 6 to 9 inches tall (15 to 23 cm.). Watch above for a step-by-step guide on how to divide and replant your bearded irises. Or has it simply been a long time since your irises were divided? Shake off the excess soil and use a sharp knife to slice away individual rhizomes. Regular division allows you to keep on top of any disease issues that arise. Most rhizomatous iris should be divided every three to five years. Recommendations for when to divide irises depend on the species. This won't delete the recipes and articles you've saved, just the list. … The best time when to transplant iris is in the summer, after the iris have finished blooming, up until fall. Learn how to divide and re-plant irises in your garden.From the Southwest Yard & Garden series. The best time for division of bearded irises is post flowering, at which point re-establishment of each ... 2. Overcrowded iris rhizomes will start to push on each other, which results in the entire root system of your iris plants literally pushing themselves out of the ground. Keep reading to learn more about replanting bearded irises. Keep reading to learn more about how to transplant iris. Get complete site access to decades of expert advice, regional content, and more, plus the print magazine. https://extension.psu.edu/dividing-irises Know your iris. Do they appreciate a certain type of soil and are they shade lovers? Next, brush of as much dirt as possible from the iris rhizomes. Many gardeners wonder when is the best time to transplant iris and how should one go about moving iris from one place to another. Read on here for even more information. You can divide bearded iris anytime after flowering and through the month of August. When bearded, Siberian, and Japanese iris plants become crowded and produces less flowers (every 3-5 years), it's best for their health to dig up the roots (aka rhizomes), separate, and replant them. The bearded iris falls into this group. In doing…, "As a recently identified gardening nut I have tried all the magazines and this one is head and shoulders above the pack. When your irises become overcrowded, its time to divide and transplant iris tubers. Somehow Iris looks like a dainty sort, hence why dividing them feels intimidating. Try not to pierce the rhizome with the fork. Consider giving some to family and friends.