Bulbs/Iris

Advertisement


Question
Our zip code is 23430.  We will be moving this winter February and would like to know how I can bring some Iris with us. Is there a way to dig them out of the garden in the fall and dry them? If so how do I do this and then replant in the spring.  We are move to the D.C.  area.   Thanks for the help

Answer
What kind of Iris are you growing, Judy?

Dutch Iris Bulbs can be lifted easily, dried in the basement and potted, carried off anywhere and planted when the ground warms up.  The biggest danger is rotting of the bulbs during storage.   You need to keep them cool and moist, but not wet enough to grow anaerobic bacteria and rot them all.

Rhizomatous Iris need soil contact and should not be lifted without being promptly potted again and kept cool, with occasional moisture added to keep them viable.  Then you plant them as soon as you get the chance.

Do what you can to work your soil well and enrich it before planting the Rhizomes.

Clear enough?  Let me know if you have any questions.

Bulbs

All Answers


Ask Experts

Volunteer


Long Island Gardener

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.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.