Transplanting blooming iris

12 years ago

Just got through transplanting a couple of clumps of blooming irises and remembered another thread recently asked why you would do it. I've been transplanting tall bearded irises in bloom for years and usually have good results. There are several reasons why I do.

First, that way I'm absolutely sure I'm moving what I intend to move. I make notes, I label, I write on fans, but still come fall I'm often in doubt.

Another reason is that another flower -- usually a daylily -- is in mortal danger of being overgrown by the transplantee. That daylily needs more space NOW!

Finally, there's instant gratification. I'm able to see right away whether the iris looks as good in its new spot as I hoped it would.

I don't cut back either the blooms or the foliage. If I get a good root ball and am lucky enough to do it just before rain or cloudy weather, the moved iris just picks up and keeps going. I can't recall ever losing one, but of course the ones I move are healthy and vigorous else they wouldn't be candidates for mid-bloom transplant in the first place.

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Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
12 years ago
whatever works.. works..

in my sand.. i could never take a clump of soil ...

and i would not recommend bare rooting a flowering plant ...

and once moved.. at the old garden.. i would take the flower off.. to enjoy in the house.. i understand the logic of doing it when it blooms ... its there.. you're there.. you know what it is.. etc ...

and one thing i used to do.. is simply take 6 inches of masking tape.. write the name on it [or color or destination, etc].. and wrap it on the stem taping it to itself.. so that later.. i know what it is.. so as to do it after bloom ...

as i said.. if it works .. all the power to ya ...

ken
random_harvest
Original Author
12 years ago
Hmm, do I detect a note of skepticism, Ken? :-)

Would it help to know that my soil is mostly black clay and clump is what it does best?
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Nancy
12 years ago
I gave friends some of my iris while they were still in bloom years ago. I don't know if they cut the bloom off when they planted them, but the iris did bloom for both of them the following year. I have not divided or moved them since that year while in bloom. I just choose not to because I enjoy the blooms. Those weren't in clumps & had no soil attached. Those were hardy iris though-Rapture in Blue & Bliss Bomb. Back then I considered iris almost unkillable weeds. I know now that some iris are just mover vigorous than others.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
12 years ago
no skepticism at all ... i said.. if it works .. it works.. and that it wouldnt work for me ... simply because of the soil ...

in other words.. you aside.. it might not work for everyone ...

so all they can do.. is experiment ... its how we all learned ... so i appreciate you sharing your method ... to inspire other to experiment ...

ken
aseedisapromise
12 years ago
I just moved from a heavy soil house to a sandy-silty soil house, and it's dawning on me that rather than having all my drainage problems solved, I have just traded them for some new ones. I can't imagine moving iris in bloom here and watching all the soil fall away as I lifted the clump. I have tried the tape method before, and writing on the rhizome during bloom to keep things straight for moving later. That's why you have to use some thought before adopting methods that some other folks have shared. But it doesn't mean that things shouldn't be shared, just that you have to be thoughtful. That is what makes it fun.