Help - How to Prepare Iris for shipping?

trying to successfully ship a trade.

was told to ''cut the iris back".
Im really a newbie at ALL of this.

that mean wash off all soil, remove leaves - ? ?
. . .does this mean remove roots too??and just leave the rhizome??

trying to do right . . .

plz help!

Im not a expert shipper but what I do know,, is,, trim the green leaves,,like a t-pee,,just tap the soil off no clods..trim off any rhizone that looks dead or no healthy roots,,and ship on a monday, so there not just sitting in a warehouse somewhere. I also get a request of delivery?? not sure the proper term...alittle x-tra but worth it if you have to track it. good luck :)

What type of Iris are you shipping?

rebloomers.

i ship Priority - so even shipping on Tuesdays can get all delivered by Friday.

This message was edited Jun 30, 2009 10:11 AM

Leave roots, you can trim them a bit if extra long. the reason leaves are 'cut back' (there's your term) is to minimize water loss. Rebloomers will start to increase in their new home but probably won't bloom this fall. but you don't want the energy to have to go into root growth when you want the plant to make increases. If dirt shakes off, fine. If not blast the plant with the hose. It doesn't hurt to dip the rhizome in a 10% bleach solution, wait a bit, rinse off then dry. You want to protect the garden of the person on the receiving end.

As a newbee last year, I didn't know anything about "Mothers". I probably sent out a few to people because they were really big. lol. If, by some odd reason, you are as ignorant as I was, please don't send mothers. Let me take this opportuntity to say "I'm sorry" to anyone that I might have done that to; if I did, everyone was too polite to tell me.

Good luck on your trades; I have really enjoyed them.

I used to send so many boxes of perennials when we lived on the farm but never irises because I was so much into roses and Dl etc.
But just sent my first iris trade to a DG member and he received them yesterday and was extremely pleased.

I had asked him for advice how HE wants me to ship them.Here is what he said and I did what he wanted.After digging the iris,I rinsed them off with the waterhose but then washed them some more in a bucket.
After that I put them into a 10% Bleach 90% water mixture and soaked them for 1/2 hour.Had set my timer so I wouldn't forget.Rinsed them well and then layed them out on paper inside of the house to let them dry out for 2 days.

He was very pleased and I will follow this procedure again unless I hear from a expert that 30 minutes is too long or 30 min.neccesary ?

not sure if mothers were sent.

I DO know there were several smaller pieces then one large rhizome that had

viable leaves growing from three places and an additional three beginning to grow elsewhere.

I got numerous Bev Sills when I first moved down here from NYC friends.
(sort of an inside joke/play on name and ti reblooming.)

That was at least five years ago. little if any division / separation was done.
So im here today seperating/dividing - with the help and advice of DG forum!

thank you all!

Hoping/planning to move - with in the next year or so
want to have everything look neat and nice.
rather than a bunch of Bev Sills all a'blooming in one spot.

have and am getting more rebloomers.
Plan to take better care and attention to these new babies.

what is a good fertilizer to use with them??
Id prefer to NOT use Miracle Grow.

and can irises grow in pots/containers??

After you do the bleach bath and rinse turn upside down and allow to dry out for a day, and ship dry in wood shavings if available not straw or shredded paper (chance of rotting). Shipping dry is the key.

I ship all types of plants all season long, including succulents and non-succulent plants--potted and unpotted.

I also ship irises starting mid-July in my zone. Once dug up, I spray the clump with a hose, using a strong spray to remove the soil. I make sure every bit of soil is removed. I then look to make sure there is no rot and that they are healthy. I dip them in 10% bleach, then set them outdoors in the shade to dry. I don't trim roots, only the top down to 5" or 6 ".

First, I punch a hole on all 4 sides of the box for ventilation. Once the rhizomes are dry, I circle the roots--if long--inside the box. They are placed in single layer with newpaper in between layers. I use the smallest box that will hold what I am shipping, often cutting down one to fit. I don't want the rhizomes rattling around inside the box. Also want to keep shipping low in price. I put enough packing material inside to keep the rhizomes from moving around. Newspaper works good. I like the box small, and filled enough so that when I close the top there is no empty space.

DaLoveRat,

You stated......

"....turn upside down and allow to dry out for a day...."

What do you mean?

I'm learning also and want to do it right. : )

Marilyn

After bleaching and rinsing turn the rz upside down so the roots are up in the air this allows any water that got inside the leaves to drain out.

I use a clothespin and pin the roots to the clothesline with the leaves hanging down for an hour or two in the midday sun (be conscious to watch for signs of scorch as that can happen) after soaking with a 1:9 bleach water solution for 5-10 minutes. After they irises are dry, they are labelled (use a black sharpie), trimmed (roots to about 4-6" and fans 6-8" where possible. If weather is humid or wet, I use a line in the laundry room (put newspaper on the floor to catch the water droplets) and leave them overnight to dry.

Some people use a dehumidifier.

R.

I say 4" is too short for roots; they need anchors in the new place.

I won't argue, but I beg to differ. I believe 4-6 inches is plenty of root if there are many roots present.

I don't trim mine at all I want all the extra I can get I have too many deer going thru my irises and other animals like dogs and cats and if they get bumped it helps hold them down. Normally 6 inches should be plenty.

This message was edited Jul 13, 2009 9:48 AM

Explanation--6" fine. We often have heaving in this climate, so really need tough anchors. Your colder weather may not arrive so early In MD.

DaLoveRat & Elizabethtown,

Thanks for all your help in explaining! : )

I always ship on Monday, if it is a holiday I wait until the following Monday, I always send with delivery confirmation, had a few say they never got there iris and asked me to send more.

I wash, disinfect, and allow to air dry, I never trim a root, as I do not like to get iris with no roots at all or roots that have been shaved off to stubs, to hard to anchor them, if you live in a windy place the wind will blow them out of the ground, any animal will knock them out of the ground I have had this happen many times and end up putting rocks on top of the rhizome to hold them in the ground until roots start. Iris with no roots or chopped off roots will never make it through a tough winter, I lost many iris this way, & I have had to plant many of non root iris in pots & winter indoors so they could have a chance to survive and be planted the following yr after roots have grown.

I agree. I much prefer if the Iris have full roots on them when I plant them. As Maincoon pointed out, it's windy up here and we have lots of critters foraging through our gardens that they aren't too careful. The faster they get anchored down, the better chance they have of surviving.

Hope this pic will explain a few things about cutting back and planting. I drew it myself and give permission to use it if any good. CERAHIPP

This message was edited Jul 15, 2009 7:23 AM