Will they bloom for me ?????

I brought Iris from my Dad in Ohio and now they live in Florida Zone 8/9. We had around 15 Frosts this past Winter but only below 32 a couple of nights. My question is 2 fold. Once transplanted from Ohio how long before they will bloom ??? And will they bloom at all ??? Poor plants here get freezing cold and Summers schorching sun and heat. Thank you for all your help.

Melody

What sort of irises are they?

OK I am totally lost I did not know there were different types. I will do my best to research this as my Dad passed away last year and my Mom is clueless. Actually what we didn't take she had mowed down. Her health is bad. Going out to research will come back.

Mel

Mel, When did you put the Iris in the ground?
My guess would be that the biggest problem you might have is dampness in Florida. I don't know what the conditions are as to rain where you live. If you put them in the ground last fall, they may very well bloom for you this fall. If you haven't put them in yet, do it now and who knows.

I live in zone 9b and my Iris love it here, although it doesn't get freezing. The heat certainly won't be a problem, and being in zone 8, you're in a pretty temperate place. Since you don't know the names of the Iris and they are 'heritage' and have meaning for you, I'd take a chance and see what happens. Your biggest risk is letting them get too wet over the summer. As you wander through the Iris threads here, you'll notice that many of the people here grow their Iris in the midwest (where yours came from), which has to have bigger weather swings than you do.

All you can do is to put them in the ground, or wait and see. I'll bet it turns out OK for you.

That's why I asked what type of irises they are. Bearded irises require an entirely different sort of culture than many of the beardless types, and crested irises are different yet. Bulbous irises are on a whole different timing schedule as far as optimal planting time.

Chances are you're growing bearded irises (the most popular type), but if they're something else, you're going to need to know how to handle them properly.

Laurie

Sorry in delay in answering but life sometimes gets in the way. I believe they are Tall Bearded. One group I have have been in the ground 1 1/2 year and the others only about 6 months. No blooms on any. They are in an area where the water does not stay for very long.

Melody

Let me preface this by saying that I know absolutely NOTHING about growing bearded irises in FL. That said, I will tell you what I have read from a man who DOES successfully grow some bearded irises in the northern part of FL. According to my understanding of what he has posted in the past on a different iris list, bearded irises have a very difficult time in most parts of FL. He lives in north FL and can grow certain reblooming TBs in pots, but apparently he has had no luck growing them in-ground. I'm not certain why that is, but I *think* it's because he's able to bring the pots into his garage to regulate the amount of rainfall and other weather events to which the irises are subjected. I also don't know why he only has luck with reblooming TBs - perhaps because they tend to be more vigorous growers than spring-only bloomers.

I don't know if any of that will be helpful to you. I would suggest leaving your beardeds where they're currently planted for another year and seeing if they will settle in and bloom next spring. If they don't, you may want to consider trying LA irises, instead. They may be better suited to your new climate.

Happy irising,

Laurie

Thank you for your help. I just so wanted to have these bloom. See my Dad passed away last June and I have memories of his Iris beds and all the Love he gave them, I was hoping to have some of that Love for my home too.

Mel