Irises: Iris Help, Please, 1 by Oldgardenrose

Oldgardenrose wrote:
The reason I let mine dry for about a month is just time. By the time
I dig, sort, wash, sterilize, fork, amend and replant, it takes about a
month. That is only my small garden with a hundred or so plants.
Lord knows how you folks with large plots get it all done.

As far as requiring fresh rhizomes to plant, a couple of years ago
I found some 'pass the wine' rhizomes which had been marked down
to 75 cents due to being late in the season. Possibly late October.
I put them in an old refrigerator (where I keep my beer and night
crawlers) crisper drawer. Next spring, as soon as the ground
warmed and thawed, I planted them just to see if they would
survive. Out of 12, 11 made it ok and the 12th one I had pulled
to see if it was still alive. I went on to transplant then in July
and they did great.

My area is on the border of 5b and 6a and frost heaving has been
a problem with my fall planted iris. We can have 70 in late January,
10 in mid February, 80 in late February and solid ice in mid March.
Spring planting can work but it typically costs an additional year.