Rotting Rhizomes - can they be dug now?

I am finding some rotting rhizomes even though I used Merit this spring. Can I dig and bleach and replant these irises now, or do I have to wait till later? If there happens to be a borer in the leaf (don't think there is) will the bleach kill it?
Sharon

Sharon, LOTS of factors can leave iris rhizomes vulnerable to bacterial soft rot infections. Pretty much any stressor can do it - too much moisture, too many late freezes, physical damage to the rhizome, excessive drought, insect damage, etc., etc., etc.

If you want to try to save a rotting rz, you can either treat it in-ground (which I have found as effective as digging, bleaching, and replanting) by scraping out all of the rotted flesh with a sharpened spoon and then sprinkling the wound generously with a bleach-based kitchen cleanser like Comet or Ajax, or you can dig, bleach, dry, and replant. Either way, do it immediately. The longer the rot goes untreated, the more of the clump will be affected.

Rot treatments may or may not work. In my experience, it seems that untreated rzs are just as likely to overcome a rot infection (or not) as are treated ones.

Laurie

My Iris are also experiencing rot...no surprise given the frequency and volume of rain. I'm chalking this up to Mother Nature and her ways. I planted the Iris allowing prairie windblast aeration and more than ample room to increase, also did the Merit this spring.

I've opted to simply remove affected vegetation and hope that the beds dry out soon.

I too am having a bad rot year. After two years of drought, we had rain almost every day this spring and unseasonably cold temps. Suddenly on Memorial day, we went to 90s and over 100 first week of June - like going from January to August in five days time. I'm racing to get ahead of the rot in one bed didn't even know might have a drainage issue! I'm hoping like heck it's not crown rot.

But the Japanese irises bloomed first time ever!