Iris transplanting (summer/fall/winter)

Hi all,

According to the "experts" Iris should be dug in July. My concern is the heat in the desert in July with August temps still to come. All perennial, tree and shrub transplanting really should be done in fall/winter here. Will transplanting in say October, prevent spring bloom 2003?

Chris

I think the biggest concern with digging and dividing iris is that they have enough time to establish roots before winter sets in. In your zone Sept or October should be fine. If the rhizomes are healthy and blooming size you should have blooms the following year. Transplanting during winter is not reccomended since the plants need to survive on the stored resources of the rhizome.

If you're talking about a bearded iris...it's been my personal experience that you can't kill them if you wanted to. Trust me, I've abused them thoroughly by moving them in mid-summer routinely. I have never had a problem with blooms. They are tough as nails in my area.

Well if you can get away with it in OH I doubt I'll have a problem. Yes bearded they are. Thank you for the input
Chris

My Iris didn't bloom this year,all are at least 2 years old. Some of them bloomed last year. I'm planning to move them this year, but I have them in 3 different places. Any ideas as to what cousees this?

From what I understand there are some varieties that won't bloom every year. Especially some of the oldies. This is how they grow... A new iris is a "mama" rhizome. This will be your blooming rhizome ... she may bloom right off for you or it might take a year or two for her to become established and bloom. After mama blooms... she will not bloom again - BUT she puts out the baby rhizomes. Those are the rhizomes that will bloom next - it may be later this year, next year or it might take a couple years for them to be big enough to bloom. Then the babies will put out babies... and on & on.

So Yardbird ... I would guess that your Mama rhizome bloomed last year. Your babies just aren't big enough to bloom yet. If you move and/or divide them now it may set them back further.

I think this is also why so many people have "surprize" irises show up. Like when all the sudden out of their clump of purples ... a pink one blooms. I'd assume the pink one was always there but not as vigorous as the purple. It may take a few years for the pink to muster up enough energy to flower. Especially if it's competing with the purple hog.

Does that all make sense?? Some varieties just aren't as tough as others.