Cut back La irises?

Is it OK to cut back the La irises now? Thanks for any help you can give me....
CJ

Cut off the flower stalk and any dead leaves. Leave the rest until it frost and than cut them off. This is what I do and someone else may come along and give their two cents worth.

Along the Gulf Coast (New Orleans area), the practice would be slightly different. We would cut off the stalk and remove dead leaves also, but, here, the Louisiana irises grow well right through the winter. In late summer or early fall, it is evident that a new growth cycle is beginning, and if there is yellow foliage it is from the last season's leaves. I would say to only cut off yellow or diseased foliage at any time of the year, and do nothing different in the fall. Except we fertilize then, to give the irises a boost into their winter growth.

Patrick

Thanks Patrick. I guess it would be diff. in the warmer climate. It gets cold here.

Thanks to both of you for responding. I didn't even know you could grow La irises up north.

But, my area would correspond with Patrick's area. So, Patrick, do we not ever just cut all of the leaves back? About this time of year, they are flopping all over and are such a mess. Since they are in flower beds with other plants, I would prefer to just cut them all back. Would that rob them of nutrients for the coming season? Since they grow new leaves in the fall, couldn't these leaves just be cut off?

i cut mine back in July and they do fine

Thanks, Tazzy!!

I cut leave back when they look bad. If they are doing well and growing, then I think it would shorten the growth period to cut them. That would lessen rhizome growth, which is what supports the bloom in the next season. But scruffy looking foliage probably is not contributing, and I would feel free to cut it.

Thanks, Patrick... Good advice. About now is when they are really looking scruffy, and I don't think they are doing much for the rhizome...