You are here:

Bulbs/Splitting iris bulbs

Advertisement

Expert: Long Island Gardener - 6/18/2007


Question
I live in Central Colorado and have iris' that need to be split.  What time of year is the best to split & replant?

Answer
It's past the bloom time for Bearded Iris, so you can divide them anytime now.  If you are living in one of the dry desert parts of Colorado, though, you should hold off on this exercise until autumn, when the temperatures will have dropped.

You can use a knife or sharp scissors to cut the thick rhizomatous root into pieces with a single leaf.  Cut leaves back to 6 inches long.  Then re-plant.  You want the leaves to be facing the sun, with rhizomes just under the surface of the soil.  If your area has very hot weather, you can shield rhizomes from extreme temperatures with an extra layer of soil.

Water and you're done.

You'll find some great pictures and more indepth instructions by Marie Iannotti at the About.com page on 'How to Divide Bearded Iris':

http://gardening.about.com/od/perennials/ss/DividingIrid_5.htm

Let me know if you have any questions.  Thanks for writing.

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.