Expert: Tom Alonzo - 7/1/2009

Question
What do I do with the pods on my iris?  This is the first year that I have had them.  Is it true that when you plant an iris that it will not bloom until they have been in the ground for 2 years?

Answer
Hi Brynn,
Thanx for your question.  If you want to save the seeds, allow the seed pod to dry.  Watch it every day and as soon as it starts to split open, remove it from the stem and bring it indoors.  Open it up over a white paper plate and recover the seeds.  Place the seeds inside a moist paper towel and seal this inside a plastic baggie.  Leave it in the fridge from October to January.  Remove the seeds in January or February and plant them in a pot about 1/2 inch deep.  Keep warm and under lights.  The seedlings will emerge in a couple weeks and will look like grass.  Generally, a seedling will not bloom until its second or third season.  I hope this helps.
Tom