I want to divide a well growing iris......

[TimNDansMom]

do I have to lift out the whole plant? It's in a very tight spot with tree roots involved and I only want to take out the part that is growing into a young weigela bush. Yes, I this garden is "packed"! :rolleyes:

[Snowwark]

Hi Julie! :)

I don't have any iris, so I'm not sure if it is necessary for you to dig out the entire plant or not.

I understand about the garden being "packed", everything looks so small when you first put it in, it's very tempting to plant things too close together. Been there, done that! :)

I know we have some iris growers and I hope they can give you some help.

Dividing Iris (http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/johnson/hort/articles/dividing_iris.htm)

[Snowwark]

~ nudge ~

Advice anyone? :)

[gina2000]

If they are bearded iris, remove the stalks that are encroaching your weigela bush. The roots (actually rhizomes) will come up with the stalks. Cut the stalks off and replant elsewhere in the garden.

If they are siberian or japanese (which seem to clump more), I believe you would have to dig them up, divide and replant.

Hope this helps!

[Tulirose]

Thanks for that link. I need to divide my bearded iris and I think I need to move my other type of iris because it never blooms because I think it is too much in the shade.

What I don't understand from that link is the following: "Point the fans of leaves away from each other in the grouping, as the plants grow out, not in." I remember being confused about this when I originally planted the bearded iris about four years ago. I'm still confused.....
:confused:

I get confused so easily....

[TimNDansMom]

Thanks for the Iris website and "nudge", Kim! :D

Tulirose, I read that too and was wondering about pointing the fan leaves away from each other, as well. Maybe plant it on an angle so that it leans outward????? :confused: here too!

Thanks Gina for the "dividing" tip! It is a bearded iris and I was hoping I could just do something as simple as that. :D

[Tulirose]

Oh, I found something in Sunday's paper (which I only read on Monday) about dividing bearded irises:

....Space divisions about 12-18 inches apart in a triangular pattern -- position two plants with their fans facing forward and the third with its fan perpendicular in the space in-between. Dig shallow holes -- irises planted too deep are susceptible to rot and borers. Mound soil in the center of each hole and place the rhizome on top, draping its roots over the mound. Cover lightly with no more than 2 inches of dirt. ......

Does that help? I'm still a little confused myself. If we plant every third one perpendicular, then the flowers will be growing every which way, not all in one direction. I think I should go out and take a good look and my bearded irises to see how they are growing now. Maybe that would help me understand?!

[gina2000]

Bearded Iris growand spread in a circular pattern. You should position them in a semi circle, with the end that sprouts the foliage (the fan) facing the outside of the circle. Think of it like a semi circle when you plant....with the foliage forming the outside rim.



..........{foliage side here} X (nothing here).... X{foliage side here}



............nothing here.....................X........................ nothing here

.....................................{foliage side here}................................


Now let's hope this works when I hit submit.

[Tulirose]

<font size="6"><marquee direction="right" alighn="middle"behavior="alternate">:crazy: :crazy: :crazy: ROTFL :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:
</font></marquee></font>
Thanks Gina - Now I'm even More Confused..... but laughing!!!!

[TimNDansMom]

LOL!! Oh Gina, thank you for all your hard work but I'm as confused as Tulirose is! :p :p :p LOL!!

[Snowwark]

.......nothing here...... < who's confused here > ...............nothing here...

........X........really......< >........{I think I've got }.........X......really...


Thank you Gina! :jester: :)

[gina2000]

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I worked for at least 20 seconds on that!

Hope your iris wiggle when you plant them and stick up like cowlicks! SO THERE!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!


I never could draw....guess it translates to graphic art also.....

hehehehehehehe

[amcnj]

Iris fans have a curve to them, even it is slight on some, curving towards the rhizome. As iris grow, they grow towards the inside of the curve made by the fan If you hold up a rhizome with the fan of leaves attached, the fan is at the back of the rhizome and curves slightly towards the side where the rhizome is. So you want to plant them with the outside of the curved fans facing each other, the rhizomes away from each other, so they won't grow into each other. As said before bearded iris can be separated without digging them all up as the tops of the rhizome should be at or above soil level and easiily visible, and thus easy to spot a dividng spot between rhizome clumps. Trim the leaves back, sever the rhizome and dig under the rhizome lifting as many roots as possible. While the rhizome is up it's a good time to look for any rotted parts or evidence of borere damage. Cut off or cut out the damged areas before replanting. I actually only dig the whole clump and reset all as often the rest could use the extra room afforded by thinning and resetting. Here in NJ the timne to do this is late Aug and early Sept as it gives the plant a chance to re-establish before frost. At least that's how I was taught!

[Snowwark]

That's great amcnj, thank you very much! :)

.......you too Tulirose

........and you Gina

:) :) :) :) :)

[Tulirose]

Thank you so much amcnj. I can tell already that your post is going to help me a lot but, honestly, I can not seriously sit down and read it because I am still laughing hysterically over Gina's *helpful* post, Snowwark's response and then Gina's response to all us being confused!!!

When I settle down, I will read your posting again. Thanks

And thanks you other guys for my laugh of two days!!!



:D :D

[TimNDansMom]

Thank you EVERYONE for helping me with my iris problem and providing a good laugh, while at it! I thought it would be a very simple "cut and dried" answer, but I should have known............LOL! :p