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Bulbs/storing iris roots
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Question
we are moving from north carolina to ohio this fall and we have hundreds of iris and day lillies we want to take with us and we really need to dig the iris now. how can we store them for a few months. thanks so much, Bonnie
The ONLY way to store an Iris now, or in your case HUNDREDS of Iris, is to pot them up.
Sorry but this is the plain honest total truth. If you can't keep them in a plot somewhere (maybe a sympathetic neighbor will do that), or plant them in your future Home, they have to go in pots. It's growing season. Either that, or stay put until Fall; at least they'll be going dormant and will have a fighting chance.
This is a very good reason to Love Thy Neighbor. You never know when you'll need to borrow their house. Good luck. And consider this: You can order re-fills or divide those that you do pot up for the new location.
THE LONG ISLAND GARDENER
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Expertise
Growing Tulips? Dahlias? Daffodils? Gladiolus? It doesn't get easier than bulbs and tubers. Once in a while, something goes wrong: The dreaded Narcissus Bulb Fly, which resembles a honeybee. Mosaic virus, which can ignite a field of tulips in a single season. Nematodes, lurking underground. Here on the North Shore of Long Island, the garden is full of surprises. If you live in the Northeast/Atlantic Coast, I can help you pick the right bulb for every season, indoors and out, and help you fertilize, bloom and harvest for home or work. How: I have degrees in related fields, but my best understanding is all learned from trial and error. For most of my 53 years I have been gardening somewhere. No matter what the problem, I've learned the best answers are always Organic -- Earth friendly, less expensive, healthier for people and pets, easier and cleaner than toxic liquids and powders that big chemical companies sell so smoothly.
Experience
Besides degrees in related fields, and a few favorite horticultural societies, I work as a docent at our local botanical gardens -- but it's the years of work in the garden that's the real test.
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