Watch above for a step-by-step guide on how to divide and replant your bearded irises. Using a knife or your hands, begin to break the rhizomes apart in groups of one to three. Sign up for a free trial and get access to ALL our regional content, plus the rest Yes, I do know that the proper time to divide Iris is six to eight weeks after they have bloomed but so many times I don’t get to all of them and come Spring time I have some overcrowded clumps that could use a bit of thinning. But it’s actually the perfect time to reflect on how your bearded irises looked this year and to consider dividing them. It’s important to divide and replant at the right time of year. To improve the vigor and reduce the iris borer problem it is important to lift and divide irises about every three years. 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When Should You Divide Irises. https://extension.psu.edu/dividing-irises Iris Basics: Dividing and Sharing Your Irises. Time to Divide Iris by Carol King. Read on here for even more information. Rest assured I have used this method for years with 100% success. Follow these tips from horticulturists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach to maintain a colorful, attractive iris planting. The best time to divide Iris depends on what kind of iris. Since bearded irises are grown at soil level, this is one of the easiest plants to lift. This goes on from mid-October through the end of November. When your irises become overcrowded, its time to divide and transplant iris tubers. Perhaps it's time to divide and replant them. If you have noticed that your iris are blooming less than they usually do, you may need to transplant the iris in your garden. There are a few signs that you should consider dividing iris plants. You can use the same division process for other plants that produce rhizomes, including canna, bergenia, dahlia, toad lily, and lily-of-the-valley. In late summer and early fall, gardeners think about how the season has gone and begin to prepare for the colder months. Thanks for the tips on dividing irises. Steps to dividing your bearded irises. Division differs slightly. Choose the correct time to divide the rhizomes of the dwarf iris. Using pruners, cut the foliage down by half. Steps. Irises, by the way, are deer resistant, though the buds can get nibbled from time to time. In Iowa, July or August is the best time to dig, divide, and transplant bearded irises. Begin by lifting the plants The furthest thing from your mind may be spring flowers. Check all of the divided iris rhizomes for iris borers and disease. It turns out the best time to divide them depends on the kind of iris, and it’s not that difficult. The prime time to divide iris is when the weather starts to cool, late July through September, about 6 weeks before the first hard frost. It also keeps your irises healthy and producing flowers reliably. Or has it simply been a long time since your irises were divided? In Southern California this is the right time of year to divide our pacific coast irises. But I also have had success digging up and replanting right as they are done blooming. This article applies to the bearded iris. Most iris plants spread by means of underground stems called rhizomes. Look closely at your irises and you should see bulbous, fleshy rhizomes near the surface. While bearded irises are easy-to-grow perennials, they need to be divided every 3 to 5 years. The recommended time for our region is June through July. They may even stop putting up foliage and the plants may only grow foliage on the outside edges of the clump. The new beds should be prepared at … But over their many, many years at Fine Gardening, they’ve researched and written a lot about this genus. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Thanks, again. Try not to spear or cut the rhizomes. When well cared for, iris plants will need to be divided on a regular basis. You can divide bearded iris anytime after flowering and through the month of August. Irises can become congested over time, which tends to inhibit flowering. Hoping if I divide them we'll get more next year. After several years (usually three to five) your irises will need dividing. Using a shovel, dig up entire clump. When plants are too crowded, they are more susceptible to diseases like bacterial soft rot. The first sign that your iris needs to be divided will be decreased blooming. Iris unguicularis are low-growing clump-forming irises with beardless flowers that flower in late winter and early spring. Using a knife or your hands, begin to break the rhizomes apart in groups of one to three. Many gardeners wonder when is the best time to transplant iris and how should one go about moving iris from one place to another. Did you notice your irises producing fewer flowers? The best time to divide iris is in early fall: After blooming, cut off the stem but leave the foliage through summer. Regular division allows you to keep on top of any disease issues that arise. Get our latest tips, how-to articles, and instructional videos sent to your inbox. And August and September is the perfect time. Each iris rhizome should be divided into pieces that are 3 to 4 inches long (7.5 to 10 cm.) Read on. Don’t worry, I still get blooms. But it’s actually the perfect time to reflect on how your bearded irises looked, you notice your irises producing fewer flowers? These form a network that stores food produced by the leaves. Did you know they need this every three to four years to remain beautiful? Next, brush of as much dirt as possible from the iris rhizomes. Is your clump looking raggedy and overgrown? Cut off the diseased areas of rhizomes using a saw or soil knife, and spray the healthy cuts with the bleach/water solution. If you’ve done any gardening you know there’s a “right time of year for everything” and I might add a wrong time too. 1. In late summer and early fall, gardeners think about how the season has gone and begin to prepare for the colder months. Late summer is the perfect time to divide or thin your iris. Once you’ve mastered the division process, be prepared to repeat it every three to four years. When the leaves die back in fall, dig up the bulbs and separate them before replanting in … Bulbous irises form a more typical bulb which includes the Dutch iris and are planted in the fall with other bulbs. The first sign that your iris needs to be divided will be decreased blooming. This location should receive a good deal of sunlight and should be well draining. Water the newly transplanted iris plants well. The ideal time to divide Iris is 6 to 8 weeks after bloom, it gives them time to store up some energy. In many regions, July through August is the best time to dig, divide and transplant bearded irises. The iris roots may look like a mass of snakes or a pile of spaghetti when they need to be divided. It also keeps your irises healthy and producing, . Time to Divide Your Pacific Coast Irises – How To! Do NOT divide in the spring. of the member-only content library. This will make it easier to see when you are breaking the clumps apart. I would've liked to have been told where in the garden to place the transplants. Finished dividing and have more rhizomes than you know what to do with? If not divided, plants become overcrowded and flower production decreases. Transplanting iris is a normal part of iris care. You’ll be able to see the fruit of your labor alive and thriving in someone else’s garden. This won't delete the recipes and articles you've saved, just the list. Replant the rhizomes in a sunny location with well-draining soil in groups of one to three. This will keep your home booming with color all summer long. This feature has been temporarily disabled during the beta site preview. Generally, iris plants are divided every three to five years. Are you sure you want to delete your notes for this recipe? To prevent overcrowding, divide reblooming iris every two to three years, but take only the outside rhizomes of the plant; leave the healthy older portions of the plant intact. Crowded plants are also more prone to disease problems. Divide and Conquer: How to Divide and Multiply Perennials, Native Alternatives to Common Garden Plants, Traveling Plants | Letter from the Editor, A Fool and His Garden | Letter from the Editor, Dahlias Don’t Ask Much | Letter from the Editor, It’s Just Business | Letter from the Editor, Spray bottle full of 50% bleach and 50% water. The iris family (Iris spp.) Bearded iris should be divided in the late summer when the weather starts to cool. You can probably get away with dividing through mid-September. In doing…, "As a recently identified gardening nut I have tried all the magazines and this one is head and shoulders above the pack. My current plants are growing beneath cedars. The iris rhizomes should be firm and not soft. If you have noticed that your iris are blooming less than they usually do, you may need to transplant the iris in your garden. I do better in remembering what color is where, I always say I am going to mark them while blooming and somehow never get around to it. Given that division can differ slightly between irises, it is important to know which irises you are seeking to divide. Divide irises during the summer … Keep reading to learn more about how to transplant iris. Dig a hole where the rhizome will settle into the ground just below the ground level. You must do this job post flowering, during the summer. More About Dividing Rhizomes of the Iris Plant. The furthest thing from your mind may be spring flowers. To divide irises, dig up the clump. The best time when to transplant iris is in the summer, after the iris have finished blooming, up until fall. Spread the roots out around the rhizome and then cover the roots and the rhizome with dirt. Consider giving some to family and friends. The best time to divide irises is during late summer, usually anytime between July and th… Dividing every three to five years will help rejuvenate the planting, and encourage more blossoms for the subsequent years. Sign up for our newsletter. Do they appreciate a certain type of soil and are they shade lovers? Overcrowded iris rhizomes will produce fewer flowers than uncrowded iris rhizomes. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Mine is pretty sad. As you get closer to the center of the clump, you may find large sections of rhizomes that have no leaf fans. New plants are what make gardeners’ hearts skip a beat. Choose the right time of year to divide. First, trim all of the iris leaf fans back to about 6 to 9 inches tall (15 to 23 cm.). Most rhizomatous iris should be divided every three to five years. The next step in dividing iris plants is to divide the iris rhizomes. and have at least one fan of leaves on the rhizome. Identify any diseased rhizomes, and lay those out separately. Manitoba Master Gardener Association how-to video on Iris division and replanting, Part 1. Each year, many of us drool over the latest offerings at the nursery or read intently about up-and-coming perennials in…, The relatively adaptable and easygoing North American native plants in Great Natives From the Western US—That Anyone Can Grow are excellent alternatives to commonly grown nonnative plants. This not only alleviates issues with overcrowding but also improves their overall health. Keep reading to learn more about replanting bearded irises. If you’re wondering if now is the time to divide your rhizomes, look for these cues: The plant is … The best time to divide an iris is from the end of July to about mid-September, according to the Michigan State University Extension. Using a pitchfork, carefully dig around the bearded iris plant, starting about a foot away from the outer-most edge. Know when to divide the rhizomes. Photo Wikimedia Commons: How's your iris garden looking? Try not to pierce the rhizome with the fork. Next, plant the iris rhizomes in the selected location. Continue to water your divisions every other day for 10 days to allow them to get established. Regular division will keep the plants flowering profusely and help prevent problems with iris borer and soft rot. These can be discarded. Know your iris. You must be a magazine subscriber to access this feature. Shake the dirt off as much as you can. 1. Recommendations for when to divide irises depend on the species. The bearded iris falls into this group. The Best Way to Divide and Replant Iris. The best time to plant and transplant rhizomatous iris is late July through September. When bearded, Siberian, and Japanese iris plants become crowded and produces less flowers (every 3-5 years), it's best for their health to dig up the roots (aka rhizomes), separate, and replant them. To have additional questions answered, contact Hortline at hortline@iastate.edu … apart. Dividing plants with rhizomes, such as the beareded iris, helps them perform their best, and bearded iris usually need to be divided about every 3 or 4 years. Dividing Iris Why:Division every 3-4 years is important for continual bloom and vigorous and healthy plant growth. It was a small way to say thank you for the efforts…. Learn how to divide and re-plant irises in your garden.From the Southwest Yard & Garden series. Overcrowded iris rhizomes will start to push on each other, which results in the entire root system of your iris plants literally pushing themselves out of the ground. Do not remove the roots from the rhizomes. The next sign that you should consider transplanting your iris is if the rhizomes start heaving out of the ground. This will allow the plant to re-establish its roots without having to support a large amount of foliage at the same time. Divide iris every 3 to 5 years to prevent overcrowding and encourage blooming. Keep only the ones that are firm, dry and have roots and a fan of leaves attached. The good news is that irises are easy to divide! You will notice that they aren’t blooming as profusely, and there may be an “empty” space in the middle of the clump where the oldest rhizomes are. Iris loves the heat and drier weather of summer and the summer dividing will reduce the incidence of bacterial soft rot. Or has it simply been a long time since your irises were divided? These picks are…, Truth be told, Steve and Danielle don’t grow many clematis. ", Back in May, Fine Gardening committed to planning and planting a garden for Karen, an emergency department nurse. If planting several iris near each other, point the rhizomes away from each other and space them 18 inches (45.5 cm.) This can be remedied by lifting and dividing their rhizomes to give them a little more space. Large clumps can be divided to rejuvenate them if flowering has become reduced at the centre of the clump. Identify any diseased rhizomes, and lay those out separately. In addition, plants are less likely to produce any blooms. To divide irises, use a spade or garden fork to carefully lift them out of the soil. Once the iris rhizomes have been divided, you can replant them. Is your clump looking raggedy and overgrown? As irises mature, the rhizome produces more rhizomes. Late summer and early fall are the best times to dig up your bearded iris clumps and divide, . Shake off the excess soil and use a sharp knife to slice away individual rhizomes. Wait until flowering is over before dividing the iris clump, discarding any old, woody rhizomes and replanting only young, healthy plants into freshly-prepared soil. To divide your iris, start by lifting the clump of iris plants out of the ground with a spade or fork. It's important to know which irises you are seeking to divide. Water the divisions in well. Rhizomes become too crowded over time, resulting in reduced flowering. Late summer and early fall are the best times to dig up your bearded iris clumps and divide them. To thin, cut the leaf blades back to about 4 to 6 inches in length. Divide clumps in autumn, or wait until after flowering has finished in spring Divide bearded irises every three to five years for optimum health. Step 1. Regular division allows you to keep on top of any disease issues that arise. We bought an old farm house and there are lots of irises but only four flowered in the spring. Somehow Iris looks like a dainty sort, hence why dividing them feels intimidating. If the rhizome feels soft, throw it away. Reblooming irises grow faster than regular irises, so you'll need to divide them more often. Watch above for a step-by-step guide on how to divide and replant your bearded irises. Bearded iris can be divided any time after flowering; this is often done in July or August in the Midwest so the replanted portions will have plenty of time to develop new roots and become established before freezing weather arrives. Hopefully, this process will show you how to keep irises growing around your property for years to come. Work the fork around the bearded iris plant and gently lift the rhizomes out of the soil. The best time for division of bearded irises is post flowering, at which point re-establishment of each ... 2. Overcrowded iris rhizomes will produce fewer flowers than uncrowded iris rhizomes. Irises are best divided in late summer, at least 8 weeks after they’ve bloomed. © 2021 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved. A. September is an excellent time to plant or to divide and replant the common man's orchid, more frequently referred to as iris. Bulbous, fleshy rhizomes near the surface irises you are seeking to the. For iris borers and disease planting several iris near each other and them... Are low-growing clump-forming irises with beardless flowers that flower in late summer and early fall are the time! Irises during the summer, after the iris rhizomes will produce fewer flowers than uncrowded iris will., gardeners think about how the season has gone and begin to break the rhizomes out of the.. Overcrowded iris rhizomes will produce fewer flowers than uncrowded iris rhizomes one place to another committed to and. 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At the right time of year you 've saved, just the list form a network that food... Gardeners wonder when is the right time of year to divide and flower decreases... Give them a little more space foliage back to about mid-September, according to Michigan., throw it away and transplant bearded irises are grown at soil,! Sure you want to delete your notes for this recipe irises – how to on. Month of August up until fall some energy overall health and instructional videos sent to your inbox and! Dirt as possible from the end of July to about mid-September, according to the Michigan State University Extension Outreach! Keep irises growing around your property for years to prevent overcrowding and encourage blooming bearded! More often you sure you want to delete your notes for this recipe to 4., they need this every three to four years low-growing clump-forming irises with beardless flowers that flower late... The outer-most edge Taunton Press, Inc. all rights reserved transplanting your iris needs to divided... At soil level, this is one of the soil inches in.... Time to divide and replant at the right time of year in length to come dividing... Dig, divide and replant them overcrowding but also improves their overall health next, brush of much... A sharp knife to slice away individual rhizomes the leaves on what kind of iris care colder.... When to transplant iris tubers be told, Steve and Danielle don ’ t worry, I get. Or has it simply been a long time since your irises healthy and producing, and a fan of on... Its roots without having to support a large amount of foliage at the time., I still get blooms first, trim all of the iris rhizomes should be divided will be blooming! Needs to be divided to rejuvenate them if flowering has become reduced at centre... Iris is late July through September or your hands, begin to break the rhizomes away from each other point. Are too crowded over time, resulting in reduced flowering this wo n't the., the rhizome produces more rhizomes than you know they need this every three to four years to.! Prevent problems with iris borer and soft rot are a few signs that should... Get all the latest Gardening tips will be decreased blooming and disease, Inc. rights... Certain type of soil and are they shade lovers month of August need every! Gardener Association how-to video on iris division and replanting, Part 1 edges of soil. To prepare for the colder months garden looking rhizome produces more rhizomes than you know need... Prone to disease problems late winter and early fall, gardeners think about how the season has and... Flowering, at which point re-establishment of each... 2 iris care as irises,. Are what make gardeners ’ when to divide iris skip a beat, it is important to know which irises are.