New To Irises

Good morning! =)

I figured this would be the best place to pose my questions; you see, I'm totally new to Iris growing, but I seem to have fallen into it sort of accidentally. This past Friday at work I was helping a lovely couple buy some trees, and in the conversation they mentioned that they had a TON of Irises growing in an area where they wanted to plant the trees, so they were gonna dig out all the Irises and just toss them. ACK!! ... Well, I couldn't help myself, it just sort of exploded out of my mouth without my actually thinking about it.. "I'll take 'em, give 'em to me!!". Yipes, what did I just say!?!?! The husband was pleasantly surprised and asked if I were working the next day (Saturday). Yessir, I sure am. Well, lo and behold, he showed up mid morning on Saturday, and 5 minutes later half the bed of my truck was FILLED with Iris plants and tubers. All I know about them is that they bloom yellow. At least, that's what the Husband told me. I'm not sure if they've bloomed yet this Spring, but a few of them do have buds on them. The plants that are... well... "plants" (and not just tubers) are about 1.5-2 feet tall. I installed them (yes, all of them) yesterday morning, thinking that a cool cloudy day would be the best time to do it. Their roots are well covered in loamy/composty soil, but the tuber parts are just scantily covered, with bits of bare spots here and there on each to allow for air circulation. I watered them in well... oh, and they are under an over-hang, by the way. They are in a North-Western facing location, so will get sun from early afternoon onward until sundown. They are very near the foundation of the house, against white-painted cinder-block.
Now, they are (or at least were last evening) rather floppy... Is that normal? Should I expect them to "stand back up" again this season? Did I install them correctly? Anything else I should know to do? I really want these guys to thrive 'cause I've wanted some Irises for years, but never had the money to invest in large quantities, which I feel is the "right-looking" way to grow them. ;)

Any help or tips or anything would be HUGELY appreciated, thanks guys (and gals)! < =D

P.S. This pic is just the tip of the iceberg, HA! =)

Looks like you have really good soil for them, Speedie. I'd advise that you cut the leaves off...if you google "how to trim iris for transplanting" you will likely get an image of how it's done. You won't hurt them, but instead they'll be able to concentrate on putting good roots in rather than trying to support so much green.

Congratulations on growing Iris...soon you'll be as addicted as the rest of us. :~P

Yup, I agree that trimming back will probably help some. The foliage is "lax"(floppy !) due to some root loss. If you have plenty to" experiment" with, leave a couple of the ones with smaller buds and stalks alone, and water them well, and often, for several days. This would normally NOT be a good thing( encourages rot) but I bet in this case, you MIGHT see a bloom this year. Don't make the soil muddy, just good and damp, and 4-5 days should be plenty. Then, after that, leave them alone, and let nature take it's course. Good luck with your new plants ! After you see the first bloom, either this year, OR next....You will be an iris junkie just like the rest of us !!...Arlyn

Oh God Bless your fuzzy hearts, what a quick reply! =) Okey dokey, I will google Iris trimming right now to watch how to do it correctly, and then go out and get to it. ... errrr.... maybe not today, it's raining cats and dogs... would it be ok to wait to do it tomorrow when I get home from work? < =/

Probably. :~)

A couple of years ago, I transplanted a small bunch of irises next to our garage that hadn't bloomed and looked pretty much as you described, knees exposed. They did not bloom that year, but have bloomed each season since and have tripled in volume, so beware.

Photo on left are the tall bearded irises moved three years ago. On the right the siberians that have self seeded and grown like Topsy.

Cathy, that's pretty much what I figured they would do, I'd been told they spread like nuts if they like their conditions, so I planted them rather sparsely in preparation for it. When I get home from work today I'll get out there with my pruners and give them a bit of a haircut... well, most of 'em anyway. I'll leave the littler guys alone.

Do they ever... what's the word I'm looking for..? ... darn, can't think of it, but, since I've been told they all bloom yellow, could there ever be a chance that the blooms from a 'baby' would "change colour"? Or do all the new ones 'come true'?

There is always the chance that one might throw a "sport" ( a radical color change0, but that is very, very unlikely. So, if you want different colors, plant some different colors! I won't have many( or maybe any!) to spare for trading this year, as most of the anticipated "off-spring' are already spoken for, but trading, and "for postage " offers are a "cheap' way to grow your addiction!...Arlyn

A landscaper friend of mine was fired once because a lady had him plant a big box of iris she'd handed him...later she claimed that the way he'd planted them caused them to "change" so that she had all white iris! :~P Makes you wonder where that story came from.

Trade for other colors :)

I have a theory that when weird things happen, they are not weird at all. Sometimes when a new color seems to take over it is actually a different plant that grew over or blocked the original plant. I realized this when irises that hadn't bloomed had part of the roots eaten by bunnies. When we got rid of the bunnies and the roots had healed up and regrown, they began to bloom again.

Sometimes I get lazy about pulling or culling out plants that have "over-extended" their visits. They tend to overcome, overeat and overshadow the more delicate or polite plants that wait till they have room to grow and glow. Sometimes they are harder and I need help to get out extra siberian irises and hosta that have taken over. Those irises grow in "crop circles."

Our sunny front flower bed is packed with bulbs of all sizes. In the fall the big bulbs go in the deepest with the smallest, early spring things go in the shallowest. That bed also has peonies, lilies, irises of different bloom times, an amsonia and a baptisia. The only things to be added at the border are some dwarf dahlias. If I don't keep after it and continue to pull and dig the young sprouted trees, astilbe and other things that want to take over, the early spring things come up but not the irises and lilies. They seem to be choked out and we get half the summer blooms. If I do my job and get rid of all the extra tree roots, young sprouted trees, artemesia, baptisia that's spread, etc., there are more tulips, and the lilies and allium plants are more abundant with stronger blooms.

This message was edited Apr 30, 2013 9:19 AM

Thanks guys! Actually, I'm sorta hoping they don't throw off a sport (thank you Crowrita!), 'cause I really want them to be all yellow. For one thing, if they turn out to be anything like others I've sniffed, the scent is Heavenly! But also, at the front of the bed I've got some deep purple (perennial) Verbena, and I think the yellow will offset the purple Verbena really nicely.

Worked outside ALL day in the cold heavy drizzle, unwrapping, organizing, and tagging a couple hundred tropicals we got in yesterday, then helped unload 2 trucks of nearly 2000 various goodies (annuals, perennials, herbs, and veggies), got home a smidgey bit late, but gosh darnit! I pruned back those Irises!! < =D Got out of the truck, pruners in hand, and headed STRAIGHT for the beds, did not pass "Go", did not collect $200. =) After all the rain and drizzle we've had between yesterday and today, they did not need any additional water... thank God, 'cause I'm pooped! =)

And now, I think it's time for a Western omelet and then a HOT bath! Have a GREAT evening all! =)

It sounds like you have a dream job, working with plants all day!

The (color change) can happen from new seeds. the irises were pollenated, seed pods not removed & new plants resulted. If you see pods, let them start to open at the top, collect them & plant any in a different spot.

Also when they are moved, a plant which did not bloom in the old area may suddenly like the conditions in the new. Irises bloom off the increases, the old stalk does not bloom again.

TexasDollie, yes it truly is a dream job and I am very thankful to have it! If not for this job, I don't believe I would have been inspired to head back to school (to study agriculture). And days like yesterday, hard as it was, really keep me inspired as well... GOOD GRAVY we got a lot of beauties in!! One of the beauties that arrived was a remontant Iris! I didn't get much of a chance to look it over or read the tags (BossLady had been the one to move those flats, but she pointed them out to me later), it was just tooo hectic at the time, but I'll take a better looksee when I get back to work on Friday. (those 2 deliveries had arrived late in the afternoon, and at the same time.. YIKES! :)

Thank you Iris, I'll be sure to keep on the lookout for seed pods... if not later this year, then next year. ;) I cut them back leaving about 6" of fan left on them. I also left just a few stalks that had buds on them, hoping some will open up! =)

Pruners in the car, LOL. Yup, I've ruined more shoes that way. Pull in the drive, and something catches your eye, and no stopping in the house for sneakers.

Heeheeheee, well Polly, I was just coming home from work, so I already had my mucky sandals on and three pairs of pruners in my bag. < =) Well... two pruners (one ratcheting and one not), and gardening scissors. Can't go to work without them! =) Good idea though, I should get extra pruners to keep in the truck, ya just never know when ya might need 'em!

Hi Speedy wish, you the very best with these Iris, they are very easy to grow, so sure they will look fantastic in there new home, and you saved them that is most important! they like lots of moister, I have them here the same ones, they can cope with just about anything! wish you and Hubby a great Sunday Bless from Peter and Mary - Anne.. From a wet and windy Scottish Island smiles, Sun is suposed to be out tomorrow though sop so should get lots done then.
Will be making a video of some of our adorable chicks that have hatched in the last few days, Pheasants and tiny chick called serama, they are the smallest chickens in the world they come from Malysia and also pekin chick and frizzle/ polish shamois, they are adorable.

Good luck with your plants. Older or new, thank you for saving them. If you can get from the library or loan find either Sears--the Gardeners Iris book or AIS World of Irises. The 2nd may have more information than you need right now but it is good to read.

Good morning. :) Thank you for the wonderful reading options, I have added both to my "wish list" at amazon. (when DH likes to get me a little "Just Because" surprise, that's where he goes.. so I've made sure those books are at the top of the list!) =) Of course, I couldn't help but save them.. but I'm sure you understand how it is. :) "A half a truck-bed full.. just tossed!? Not on my watch!". Now, if my rescued lavenders survive, maybe they can share the sunny bed...?

Peter and Mary Anne, God Bless your warm fuzzy hearts! HAPPY SUNDAY!! =) I can't wait to see the video of the new babies, they sound adorable!!

Will have to remember to turn on the soaker hose when everyone wakes up.... got Ma and Grammy-in-law visiting at the moment and everyone is currently still snoozing away. ;) Between them waking and all of us leaving the house, will need to go turn it on, then remember to turn it off! < =0 heeheeheee

Peter and Mary-Anne, welcome to DG!