Iris Help

[Mr Grinch]

Hi all,

Anyone got any advice on dividing a big clump of yellow Iris ?? Never dont it before. How do i re plant, deep or shallow, will they sulk for years ??

Any help appreciaited.

James

[Spruance]

By yellow iris, I presume that you mean Iris pseudacorus, otherwise known as the English Iris

With irises, the old woody growth is in the centre of the clump and the new young growth is on the outside. It is always a good idea to split clumps every few years and discard the old material..

Before you start (if not already done last autumn) cut back the leaves to around six inches high, but taking care not to cut any of this year's new growth. (You should be ok in March).

Next, dig up the whole clump and shake off as much soil as you can. Then use a sharp knife to cut away the new rhizomes (the fleshy part) from the main clump. I find it useful to have a bucket of water handy it to wash off the remaining soil to check the condition of the rhizomes, but it's not essential. Also cut away any obviously dead roots.

English Irises are marginal plants and grow best in that environment but do equally well in normal garden soil although if it is on the moist side (as I believe yours is) all the better. For normal garden planting, dig a shallow hole and spread the roots out, then infill the soil leaving just the top of the rhizome exposed.

I see no reason why the new plants shouldn't flower this year.

[Mr Grinch]

Thanks for that.
When i say yellow i mean yellow in colour. Not sure on the variety. The plant is currently on the dryer side of the garden. It can get very dry in summer. It flowered for the first time last year but i think that this has got more to do with the depth i planted it at. There are no rhizomes showing.

Ok, i'll have a go at the weekend. Just to confirm:
1. Dig up the clump
2. Only use the part of the plant on the outside
3. Seperate Rhizomes and wash them leaving roots on them.
4. Plant again, but leaving at least half of the rhizome showing.

Regards
G

[Spruance]

Yes I know you mean yellow in colour but Iris pseudacorus is yellow.

Do they look like this?...



You don't have to wash them but I just find it easier, as my plants are in damp soil at the side of one of the bird baths. If yours are in dry soil it is perhaps easier to crumble the soil off. They don't seem to mind dry soil as at our old house they used to be in very dry ground but they do seem to appreciate the extra moisture. The one thing to bear in mind should you happen to set them on the edge of or in a pond is that they can be very invasive, but that's not so much of a problem in the border.

PS. If they were Dutch irises you could be a bit more brutal and simply chop the clump with a spade.

[Mr Grinch]

I think thats the one.
So i cant divide this my spade ?? Reason i ask is that i have heavy clay soil and plant will come up like a clump of hard soil ??

[Spruance]

Hmmm... good point.

The previous advice was based on my own experience but there seems to be rather a dearth of information in my gardening books although my now ancient (1975) Readers Digest Illustrated Guide to Gardening also advocates the sharp knfe option for rhizomatous irises.

Unless of course anyone else has any suggestions??

[Chuckles]

So MrG are you saying you don't want to get your hands dirty by handling clumps of Iris in lovely sticky messy clay ;D ;D

I'd go for it with a spade as long as your aim is good when you aim at the clump, you may be able to place the spade on the clump and then use foot force to slice through. In my experience they can be quite tough to cut through though.

[Mr Grinch]

So i can divide by spade but just dont cut through the Rhizomes ? Is this right ?

[Chuckles]

Mar 12, 2009 20:40:06 GMT Mr Grinch said:

So i can divide by spade but just dont cut through the Rhizomes ? Is this right ?

Just don't cut through the younger bits that you want to use as new plants. You might find it easier if the clump is large to use the spade and chop it into managable sized clumps, then get your hands dirty and use a knife to get the younger rhizomes that you want to keep

[Mr Grinch]

Will do. I'll give it a go tomorrow.

G

[Barbara]

James if it's any help, I helped my sis. split a big clump once, and they had been in thick clay, we cut it in half with the spade as in pot luck where it split, and then we soaked the big pieces in water to clean them off, to cut them down to the sizes we wanted.

[Mr Grinch]

Thanks Barbara.
I think thats what im going to do. Dig the whole clump up, cut it in half then gently wash the mud away to leave the Rhozomes to gut them to size.
Am i right in thinking that each leave that is growing belongs to one Rhizome ?

Regards
james

[Mr Grinch]

Well ive done it, but im not happy
Then again, im never happy when dividing plants. Always think im going to kill them.
Here's what ive done.
1. Dug the clump up
2. Divided into 6 plants
3. 3 in pots now and three back in the border

Here are my concerns:
There did not seem to be that many Rhizomes. The couple of large ones that were on the plant, just fell off. I planted three split plants back into the border. Each has at least a couple of new leaves growing from them BUT i cant see a Rhizome, plenty of root though. I also planted them much shallower but them seem to look odd, a couple have even some route showing on the service. They seem pretty firm in the ground but this is still worrying me.

Is it me being paranoid ??

G

[Spruance]

Mar 14, 2009 10:43:01 GMT Mr Grinch said:

Is it me being paranoid ??

G

Maybe. ;D

How about a photo? (Of the irises that is - not you being potentially paranoid. )

[Mr Grinch]

Camera buggered to cant

G

[Barbara]

How are the Iris looking now James.

[Chuckles]

MrG is it possible that the ones that fell off were maybe seperate Rhizomes anyway, as in seperate plants.

I've looked at a rhizome that I accidentally broke off from my main plants last year. I put in a pot and what appears to have happened with mine is.....from the main rhizome about 4/5 roots have grown from it, each root has thrown up growth, as in leaves. I assume these will eventually form their own rhizome. I'll try and remember to take a photo tomorrow so you can see what I mean.

[Mr Grinch]

The three plants that i but back in the ground had a leaf starting to grow and plenty of root, so maybe there was a rhizome in there somethere. Do the leaves grow out of the rhizome ?? The ones ive planted look ok but i have been watering lots.

G

[Spruance]

Yes the leaves grow out of the rhizome which in turn produces roots.

[Spruance]

How are the irises looking now MrG?

[Mr Grinch]

They havnt died, but not growing as fast a other years !!

[Auricula]

That's probably shock - imagine how you'd feel if someone cut bits off your appendages
They're still alive, that's the main thing

[Mr Grinch]

the split Iris are producing flower stalks !!!!

G ;D

[Barbara]

Well done, see flowers want to flower, they might sulk for a while but then off they go.

[Chuckles]

Really pleased for you Mr G, I was wondering but thought better not ask just incase ;D