pbs Digest, Vol 142, Issue 14

Leo Martin stnalpsoel@gmail.com
Sun, 09 Nov 2014 19:31:12 PST
Brian wrote from fair Albion regarding bearded Iris:

> When is the best time to propagate
> them?

I've never gardened in England.

Here in a much warmer climate they are mostly dormant during summer, and a
little tricky to keep alive. Almost nobody succeeds with plants in the
ground unless they are in a bed by themselves. Those in mostly sun must be
kept mostly dry, with a little water once a week, but never into the
foliage fan when it's hot. Container plants are brought into mostly shade
to keep cooler. Rain is OK because temperatures are lower during storms.

By late June foliage is almost dead and we trim it back. For dividing we
lift in July, trim off dead roots and split up the rhizomes. They can be
replanted in a 1 gallon container right away, watered a little and kept in
the shade during our hottest season, or stored dry until replanting in the
fall. Once nights cool they spring to life and grow rapidly. A dry leafless
rhizome planted in fall will always bloom the next spring, and some
rebloomers in the ground bloom in the fall.

Leo Martin
Zone ?
Phoenix Arizona USA



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