Iris help!

Hi there all you experts,
LOL I have a few questions for you all. Yesterday my husband saw a sign for free iris. He came home and got me and we dug and dug and dug. The thing is they are all blooming now! Are they going to be okay to plant now since they are currently blooming? Do I cut the flowers off or just let them be? Should I cut them down or what do I do with these beauties? Do I plant them so that the rhizomes (? I think that's what they're called) are partly above ground in my zone? Sorry for so many question, but I need to get them in the ground. ;o) Do iris leaves turn all brown and ugly looking after they are done or do they stay green? Thank you for any and all advice. I REALLY appreciate it!!! I know I could go and search the internet for the answers, but I know it will be much faster to ask here so I can these iris in the ground quickly. Thank You!!!

Here are a few pictures of our haul! ;o)

Here's another.
Sherry

And another.
Sherry

Last one for now. Did I do good??? ;o)
Sherry

Oooops, one more. Does it seem like I'm happy! LOL
Sherry

Congratulations on your iris windfall! What a wonderful surprise!

First, cut off all of those bloomstalks right down at the rhizomes and enjoy them in vases in your home.

Next, cut the remaining foliage back to about 9" so that the plants won't be so top heavy when you replant them.

Next, soak the rhizomes in a bucket of 1 part liquid bleach to 9 parts water for 30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with clear water.

Find a spot in your garden in full sun with excellent soil drainage and a light, friable soil (if possible). Plant the rhizomes 18-24" apart so that the tops of the rhizomes are level with or just slightly below the soil surface. Water deeply immediately after planting, then leave any subsequent watering up to Ma Nature. Overwatering is the most common cause of failure in bearded irises. They will rot if overwatered.

The outer leaves of the fans will turn brown and die eventually, but the inner leaves will remain green throughout the growing season. You can remove dead or dying leaves as they appear to keep your planting attractive.

Happy planting!

Laurie

I'll be real brief since you need to get these in the ground and tell you that I am by no means the expert here, but this is what I have done and all is well in my garden!

Are they going to be okay to plant now since they are currently blooming?
They are very tough plants but you definately need to get them planted asap.

Do I cut the flowers off or just let them be?
I would cut the flowers so that the plants can put their energy into establishing roots - bonus is you can have a big bouquet in the house with all the flowers!

Should I cut them down or what do I do with these beauties?
I wouldn't, but check the links

Do I plant them so that the rhizomes (? I think that's what they're called) are partly above ground in my zone?

Yes. Check out "sticky" at top of forum and I think it will link you to specific planting instructions.

Do iris leaves turn all brown and ugly looking after they are done or do they stay green?

They stay green.

Great find - your husband did very well!!!! Have fun!!!

audrey

This message was edited May 13, 2007 11:07 AM

I told you I'm no expert! I totally didn't think about the bleach thing!

laurief and mrsj,
Wow, Thank you so much for the detailed instructions! I really, really appreciate it so much! What is the purpose of soaking them in the bleach solution? I'm off to plant some more. ;o) And yes, "husband does good"! I think I'm rubbing off on him. Not sure if that's a good thing! LOL
Sherry

The bleach soak will help remove pathogens and insect pests that you don't want transferred into your own garden. This is especially important when planting irises that come from an unknown environment.

Important Point: Trust me follow Laurie's advice of "Plant the rhizomes 18-24" apart".

I didn't know and I didn't ask, but I should have 'cause now I have a big mess. lol lol

Judy

judycooksey,
Do you have any pictures of your 'mess'? Love to see what you mean.
Sherry

Hi Wow you scored very nie looking haul hope you have lots of space! Like everything on daves it's addicting!! happy planting!!,.....Sharon

My problem may be because it's in a raised bed and therefore confined. The one Iris bed I would be ashamed to show anyone.... lol lol

They multiply rapidly and if you plant them too close together in no time at all they won't bloom well because they are too crowded, growth is stunted, etc. . I have to dig out that complete bed and start all over. Plus I don't know where one Iris planting starts and ends. I wanted to make a friend smile so I decided to send her one of each of some really pretty ones which have bloom for me this Spring. I couldn't tell if the fan/rhizomes were part of the proper plant or not because they were planted so close together.

If your haul is all of one kind, you might try doing some trading before you plant them all. I think everyone will agree that you can trade Iris most any time, but if planted TOO late in the season they won't bloom for you next Spring.

Judy