must iris have a rest period?

Pickens, SC(Zone 7a)

I have a TB iris tuber that has been very slow to settle. Can I bring it in for the winter or must they have a rest period?
charlotte

Deer River, MN(Zone 3b)

Irises don't have to go dormant in winter, but if you bring them in and upset the natural seasonal cycle, they probably won't bloom next spring. At least that's how it worked for me. Last Nov. a friend in CA sent me a bunch of leftover rzs she received from her local club sale. I couldn't resist free irises, so I had her send some of them to me. Of course I couldn't plant them outside here in northern MN in Nov., so I potted them and overwintered them under lights in my cool basement. They did just fine, and one of them even bloomed down there in March, but none of the rest bloomed this year at all. I finally got them planted out in the garden in Aug. It'll be interesting to see if they bloom next spring.

Laurie

Pickens, SC(Zone 7a)

thanks Laurie.

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