Thank you for this GREAT video. It was exactly the information we needed, well presented and clear. We live down in Minnesota and watched this video and part 2 before dividing and replanting our iris plants. It made the process much easier and understandable. Thanks for the "master class!"
Thank you so much for making these videos! I had no clue how to properly care for or my irises or what rhizomes even looked like lol! Have a blessed and safe day!
Thank you for your excellent question! The fan of leaves will form the front of your new Iris plant, but you will plant it so the leaf fan sits at the back with the rhizome pointing in the direction you want your flowers to grow. If you group several rhizomes together in a round bed, you would plant them with the "fans" in the middle and the rhizomes pointing outward. If you are planting in a bed that is against a wall or fence, you would have the "fans" to the back with the rhizomes pointing to the front of your bed. New rhizomes typically grown in an outward direction and the old ones in the middle die off, thus the need to divide these perennials every few years to maintain a neat clump. Remember that you may not get flowers in the first year after dividing, but don't be discouraged. If the leaves are healthy and the plants are growing well, you should get a nice showing of blooms in the following year.
this information is so helpful, and this is the only video i have watched that mentions this in terms of the orientation of the rhizomes and leaves other than to view them from the side or face on. Thank you!
Thank you very much for watching and finding the video helpful and letting us know! Especially nice to hear from another Master Gardener in a different growing zone.
Thank you for watching and your question! If you have a large clump of Iris that is all grown together, it will be more difficult to know what direction the rhizomes are growing. In this case it's best to dig up the entire clump being sure to place your shovel several inches away from the closest leaves and hopefully you won't cut through any nice rhizomes. You would then separate the healthy strong rhizomes and plant those. If the Iris you are dividing are not over grown you can determine which direction the rhizome is growing by gently brushing away the soil that is covering them. They should be close to the surface and when you see which way the rhizome is going, place your shovel behind the leaf fan and lift the leaves, rhizomes and roots. Again, choose the strong, healthy ones with nice roots to start your new clump.
Thank you for watching the How-to-videos about dividing and planting Iris. We really appreciate comments that let us know that our videos are informative and helpful.
Good to hear that you enjoyed the video. The yellow flowers are a Heliopsis variety of perennial. The variety is not known as the original plant was passed down through generations.
Thanks for the super helpful info - I'm in Vancouver and take care of our traffic circle which is full of of irises that are scattered. So off to dig now that is early September. Your explanations were very insightful. My only question was about "why not compost" but I understand it is because most composting does not reach a high enough temperature. Question: If I didn't plant right away once dug up, how do I store them? Maybe that answer is in the second video! Thanks again. Terrific video - simple, clear and straightforward.
Thank you for watching and the questions! There is a risk of spreading disease through compost since most "home composting" methods do not destroy the pathogens that can be in the leaves and rhizomes especially since Iris leaves are thick and fleshy and take time to break down. What to do with rhizomes you can't immediately plant. I would suggest potting them up in spare pots and keeping these in a protected space or dig the pots into a spare bed for over winter. If you want to try to store just the rhizomes, with good healthy roots, you would have to remove almost all of the leaves and soil. Allow the rhizome to dry well and dust it with some garden sulphur. Store in a cool, dry, dark place. Some sources suggest the refrigerator, but that can lead to either too much moisture or in a frost free frig possible dehydration. You could space the rhizomes between layers of newspaper, but you don't want moisture to get in as this will cause them to rot. In spring, if they feel firm and healthy soak the roots in water for a few hours and then plant. These will take more time to get established and will not produce any blooms until the following season.
The reason I recommend not composting any diseased material is that in my Zone 3 climate we typically don't get a long enough period of hot weather where the compost can really heat up and destroy the pathogens and therefore prevent the spread to other areas in your garden when you use the compost. Also backyard compost "operations" are usually fairly small so again don't really heat up to the point where disease pathogens get destroyed. If you can test the temperature of your compost pile and find that it gets hot enough, then try composting the cut leaves. I would still not use any soft or rotten rhizomes.
What are the tall, pretty purple flowers in the background? I'd love to add then to my garden. The video was extremely clear. One of my neighbors gave me some irises and now I know how to plant them.
Thank you for your question and watching the video! After viewing the video and looking in my records, the only plant that I can see that is "purple" is an annual Cosmos that I planted that year. Unfortunately I did not record which one it was and I no longer have the seed order records either. All I remember is that they were not the colour I expected them to be and they tended to get floppy so I didn't plant them a second time.
If your plants have started to show signs of new growth, it is best to let them grow and bloom and once the blooms are finished, you could divide them at that time. Unfortunately, that is often when hot weather starts and that can stress the plants. You could move them in April, but you may lose this years blooms and those rhizomes would not develop. Plant about three rhizomes together to have better success if transplanting in April. Thank you for watching and we appreciate questions.
I have some irises that are clumping without the fan of leaves. Should i be digging those up and separating or are they considered dead? They’ve been encroaching on my grass lawn
Thank you for your question regarding your Iris. If the Iris have grown into a clump, some of the rhizomes will be dried up and useless. You should dig up the entire clump and examine the rhizomes carefully. If there are any that are firm and have nice fleshy light-coloured roots, they should still be viable. There may just be a small node on the top of the wide end where the leaves would grow from. If however, the rhizomes are dry and hollow with shrivelled roots, they would not be viable and should be discarded. If you find some that look like they will grow, be sure to remove any grass roots from around them since you don't want a grass problem.
Thank you for watching the video! I have used the powdered sulphur in its dry form being careful not to breathe it or get it on bare skin. It can be mixed as a spray, but it is hard to dissolve and then you would be wetting the roots which is something you want to avoid. There are sulphur granules, but I have not used them and they would be more for amending soil than acting as a fungicide.
The thinking is always to be cautious with "diseased" material. Unless the Iris is something special that you want to try and save, I would tend not to try grow rhizomes that have had rot. It may regrow but how vigorous will it be? Plant in a different spot and best to keep it away from other Irises.
Thank you for watching our video! This is an unknown variety of Heliopsis, a perennial in our Zone 3 gardens. As it has been passed down through the generations that is the reason the variety is unknown.
I prefer to use a spade when digging up perennials that need dividing in my garden because the clay soil is easier to dig with a spade then with a garden fork. I can get the large clump out and then deal with separating the divisions once the whole clump is out. Also I have done more damage by digging into unseen bulbs or roots with a fork than with the spade. If your soil is sandy or is dry and loose you can use a garden fork to dig up your Irises. Which tools you use are usually determined by your garden conditions and also personal preference."
Thank you for this GREAT video. It was exactly the information we needed, well presented and clear. We live down in Minnesota and watched this video and part 2 before dividing and replanting our iris plants. It made the process much easier and understandable. Thanks for the "master class!"
You are more than welcome and thank you for the feedback! We are pleased to learn it was very helpful.
This was a rare gem of a video: informative, well presented, and mercifully SHORT! All the info necessary in a nice neat package. THANK YOU!
This tells me everything I need to know. Thank you!! :)
Thank you so much for making these videos! I had no clue how to properly care for or my irises or what rhizomes even looked like lol! Have a blessed and safe day!
Wow! thank you for watching and sending us greetings from Buenos Aires! Happy Holidays!
Thank you for your excellent question!
The fan of leaves will form the front of your new Iris plant, but you will plant it so the leaf fan sits at the back with the rhizome pointing in the direction you want your flowers to grow. If you group several rhizomes together in a round bed, you would plant them with the "fans" in the middle and the rhizomes pointing outward. If you are planting in a bed that is against a wall or fence, you would have the "fans" to the back with the rhizomes pointing to the front of your bed. New rhizomes typically grown in an outward direction and the old ones in the middle die off, thus the need to divide these perennials every few years to maintain a neat clump. Remember that you may not get flowers in the first year after dividing, but don't be discouraged. If the leaves are healthy and the plants are growing well, you should get a nice showing of blooms in the following year.
this information is so helpful, and this is the only video i have watched that mentions this in terms of the orientation of the rhizomes and leaves other than to view them from the side or face on. Thank you!
Thank you for viewing the video and your positive feedback. Happy to hear that you found it informative.
What a perfect video: clear, useful and just enough info. I learned when, how and why to divide and replant. (I also watched part 2). Good job.
Thank you for the lovely comments! Very good to know that you benefited from the videos.
Excellent video! Thanks for the clear explanation and demonstration.
Thank you for this informative, helpful video! A Master Gardener in Vermont, USA.
Thank you very much for watching and finding the video helpful and letting us know! Especially nice to hear from another Master Gardener in a different growing zone.
Thank you for watching and your question! If you have a large clump of Iris that is all grown together, it will be more difficult to know what direction the rhizomes are growing. In this case it's best to dig up the entire clump being sure to place your shovel several inches away from the closest leaves and hopefully you won't cut through any nice rhizomes. You would then separate the healthy strong rhizomes and plant those. If the Iris you are dividing are not over grown you can determine which direction the rhizome is growing by gently brushing away the soil that is covering them. They should be close to the surface and when you see which way the rhizome is going, place your shovel behind the leaf fan and lift the leaves, rhizomes and roots. Again, choose the strong, healthy ones with nice roots to start your new clump.
Great video! Exactly the info I needed.
Excellent. Short and to the point. Thank you
Nice to hear! Thank you for letting us know.
Thank you !!! Greetings from Buenos Aires
Great job educating. Plus, not a lot of excess chatter. I love that. To the point!
Thank you for watching the How-to-videos about dividing and planting Iris. We really appreciate comments that let us know that our videos are informative and helpful.
What time of year?
Outstanding info, thank you for the very clear instruction.
Thank you for the comments and for watching the video!
Great video. Thank you!
Good to hear that you enjoyed the video. The yellow flowers are a Heliopsis variety of perennial. The variety is not known as the original plant was passed down through generations.
THANK YOU! Very helpful.
Thanks for the super helpful info - I'm in Vancouver and take care of our traffic circle which is full of of irises that are scattered. So off to dig now that is early September. Your explanations were very insightful. My only question was about "why not compost" but I understand it is because most composting does not reach a high enough temperature. Question: If I didn't plant right away once dug up, how do I store them? Maybe that answer is in the second video! Thanks again. Terrific video - simple, clear and straightforward.
Thank you for watching and the questions!
There is a risk of spreading disease through compost since most "home composting" methods do not destroy the pathogens that can be in the leaves and rhizomes especially since Iris leaves are thick and fleshy and take time to break down.
What to do with rhizomes you can't immediately plant. I would suggest potting them up in spare pots and keeping these in a protected space or dig the pots into a spare bed for over winter. If you want to try to store just the rhizomes, with good healthy roots, you would have to remove almost all of the leaves and soil. Allow the rhizome to dry well and dust it with some garden sulphur. Store in a cool, dry, dark place. Some sources suggest the refrigerator, but that can lead to either too much moisture or in a frost free frig possible dehydration. You could space the rhizomes between layers of newspaper, but you don't want moisture to get in as this will cause them to rot. In spring, if they feel firm and healthy soak the roots in water for a few hours and then plant. These will take more time to get established and will not produce any blooms until the following season.
Thank you from Colorado 😀
You are more than welcome!
So helpful thank you!!!
Thank you from Chicago. Curious, why do you recommend not composting the bad plant material?
The reason I recommend not composting any diseased material is that in my Zone 3 climate we typically don't get a long enough period of hot weather where the compost can really heat up and destroy the pathogens and therefore prevent the spread to other areas in your garden when you use the compost. Also backyard compost "operations" are usually fairly small so again don't really heat up to the point where disease pathogens get destroyed. If you can test the temperature of your compost pile and find that it gets hot enough, then try composting the cut leaves. I would still not use any soft or rotten rhizomes.
Thank you! I have a lot of work to do :))
Thanks for the video. How do I know which side is the front and which is the back of a flower?
Replant is always better
What are the tall, pretty purple flowers in the background? I'd love to add then to my garden. The video was extremely clear. One of my neighbors gave me some irises and now I know how to plant them.
Thank you for your question and watching the video! After viewing the video and looking in my records, the only plant that I can see that is "purple" is an annual Cosmos that I planted that year. Unfortunately I did not record which one it was and I no longer have the seed order records either. All I remember is that they were not the colour I expected them to be and they tended to get floppy so I didn't plant them a second time.
Can I safely move some of my Iris to a new bed in April? Or do I need to wait until after the blooms fade?
If your plants have started to show signs of new growth, it is best to let them grow and bloom and once the blooms are finished, you could divide them at that time. Unfortunately, that is often when hot weather starts and that can stress the plants. You could move them in April, but you may lose this years blooms and those rhizomes would not develop. Plant about three rhizomes together to have better success if transplanting in April. Thank you for watching and we appreciate questions.
I have some irises that are clumping without the fan of leaves. Should i be digging those up and separating or are they considered dead? They’ve been encroaching on my grass lawn
Thank you for your question regarding your Iris. If the Iris have grown into a clump, some of the rhizomes will be dried up and useless. You should dig up the entire clump and examine the rhizomes carefully. If there are any that are firm and have nice fleshy light-coloured roots, they should still be viable. There may just be a small node on the top of the wide end where the leaves would grow from. If however, the rhizomes are dry and hollow with shrivelled roots, they would not be viable and should be discarded. If you find some that look like they will grow, be sure to remove any grass roots from around them since you don't want a grass problem.
@@manitobamastergardenerassoc thank you so much! This is the most helpful video.
Great video. What are the large yellow flowers above your head??
Thank you! The yellow flowers are a Heliopsis variety of perennial. As this plant has been passed down through generations, the variety is not known.
What kind of garden sulfur do you suggest
Thank you for watching the video!
I have used the powdered sulphur in its dry form being careful not to breathe it or get it on bare skin. It can be mixed as a spray, but it is hard to dissolve and then you would be wetting the roots which is something you want to avoid. There are sulphur granules, but I have not used them and they would be more for amending soil than acting as a fungicide.
You can cut off rotting parts on rhizome and it will grow
The thinking is always to be cautious with "diseased" material. Unless the Iris is something special that you want to try and save, I would tend not to try grow rhizomes that have had rot. It may regrow but how vigorous will it be? Plant in a different spot and best to keep it away from other Irises.
great video! what are those pretty yellow flowers behind you? Thanks!
Brown eyed Susan's
How you call that tall yellow flowers in left top corner? Thank you.
Thank you for watching our video! This is an unknown variety of Heliopsis, a perennial in our Zone 3 gardens. As it has been passed down through the generations that is the reason the variety is unknown.
@@manitobamastergardenerassoc thank you!
Why are you not using a garden fork so not to cut roots ?
I prefer to use a spade when digging up perennials that need dividing in my garden because the clay soil is easier to dig with a spade then with a garden fork. I can get the large clump out and then deal with separating the divisions once the whole clump is out. Also I have done more damage by digging into unseen bulbs or roots with a fork than with the spade. If your soil is sandy or is dry and loose you can use a garden fork to dig up your Irises. Which tools you use are usually determined by your garden conditions and also personal preference."
When do you divide your irises?
In our Zone 3 climate Iris is divided in mid to late August.
What a waste
Sorry to learn you were disappointed.