One Iris Down, One to Go

I got my order of two Best Bet iris from Dutch Gardens five days ago. They came as bare root plants, already leafed out. Some of the leaves were yellow, and a few were brown, but I figured it was just from shipping. Since it was too cold to put them outside, I potted them up and put them in a nice sunny window after I cut off the yellow/brown leaves.

Day before yesterday I noticed a few gnats in the house. I think they came in on the Iris. : (

Today, I checked the plants and sadly, one of them was completely brown and withered. It smelled awful too! The last remaining leaf just pulled right up out of the rhizome without any resistance at all. So I dug it up and threw it away. Turns out the gnats are hanging out around the iris plants, so I've no doubt that they were hitchhikers.

The second plant is ok for now, but is showing signs of yellowing/browning on the leaves, and I wonder if it's only a matter of time before I lose it.

Any idea why this happened? Can I prevent the second one from rotting away all together?

Thanks.

Stop watering it. Bearded irises are easily rotted by overwatering, so allow the soil in the pot to dry out thoroughly between waterings, and don't saturate it when you do water. Just place the pot in a shallow dish of water for 15 mins and let it soak up what it needs, then move it out of the water dish and back into the window.

If they are from Dutch Gardens they may already be goners. I've had real trouble with the big houses when it comes to iris rotting. Most of the iris growers don't dig until June at the very earliest. I'd order some from a reputable iris grower and chalk these up to experience.