when to dig and ship?

Hello all! Now that my tb iris season is pretty much over I was thinking of sending some to a friend of mine up north. I live in Tn. Is this a good time to ship or should I wait till the fall? Also, what is the best way to ship. I will send them priority mail. Should I dig and let them dry for a day or so? When I send should I wrap them in mewspaper so they don't get jostled in the box? I am familiar with sending daylilies but not with iris. Any advice is appreciated in advance. :-)

yes let them dry a day or too wash n diluted bleach after digging
dry, wrap in dry newspaper and off they go. In north they have to plant early to get

trim the top (about 2 inches long or so) and the roots (i cut them about an inch long). the iris will send out new roots in their new home and all the old roots will dry and die anyways. they are only useful for helping to anchor the rhizome.

be sure to wash all the soil off, we are in a fireant quarantine zone in TN and even if you have never seen a fire ant in your life, you don't want to chance one hiding between the roots. let dry for at least an hour before packing.

i pack the rhizomes in wood shavings but shredded or crumbled newspaper will also do.

double bag, the post office does not like packages that leak anything.

You can find instructions for preparing irises for shipping in the FAQ section on my website.

Laurie

Thanks guys! You're the best!

Please do not cut the roots so short; trimming a bit is all right. "just anchoring the plant" is very important in the north the plants must be firmly anchored before cold weather. I once had to prop a plant angainst the marker to keep it upright which was not fun.

I agree with irisMA. I leave the roots nice and long to help anchor the plant in place while new roots are growing in. This is especially important in gardens where wildlife or domestic animals are likely to wander through planting beds and uproot newly planted irises.

Laurie