Hi, ldj, I live near Dallas, "just up the road"!

I never cut anything back until it has withered & turned brown & given up the ghost, & I *never* cut iris foliage;
that foliage is drinking up sunlight to store energy for next year's flowers.

If you're going to transplant, just count 6 months past the bloom time.

If your irises flowered in April, the best time to move them is October.

I almost never manage to get the transplants done exactly when I'm supposed to, but iris are very forgiving, & they transplant fine.

If you move them too near to their next bloom season, say, in March, they don't have time to recover, & you'll lose a season of flowers.

don't know of an iris nursery or seller in the Austin area, but you might check out Argyle Acres, a mail-order iris farm north of the Dallas area; their plants are well-acclimated to our weather & conditions.

I always try to go to the Ft Worth Iris Society's sale at the Botanic Garden in September or October;
a lot of iris breeders/growers/hobbyists have good healthy rhizomes for sale there.

& of course you can get excellent advice & help & maybe some shared plants by joining a local garden club or iris society.

Best luck, & enjoy your irises!

That 'divide' time may be good for Texas (and other Southern states), however if someone from the North is reading this and wants to divide, they don't have that luxury. You can replant anytime after the bloomtime. We usually do it in July/Aug. They need the time to regrow the roots and 'dig themselves in' before the winter.

Good to see you again njiris.

I've become a fan of dividing immediately after bloom. I think it gives the iris babies more time to establish next year's bloom. One overnight soaking in their new home and then no water for a month works in my heavy soil.

When dividing if I come across an old dried out rhizome (complety spent) I discard it. If you cut rhizomes they should be allowed to dry at least overnight before replanting.

As to cutting back the bloom, I deadhead regularly, being careful not to pinch out the 2nd bud if it's a double-socket bloomer. I cut off the stalk when all bloom is done about 1/2 way until it withers enuf to pull from the rhizome.

Good to see you again njiris.

I've become a fan of dividing immediately after bloom. I think it gives the iris babies more time to establish next year's bloom. One overnight soaking in their new home and then no water for a month works in my heavy soil.

When dividing if I come across an old dried out rhizome (complety spent) I discard it. If you cut rhizomes they should be allowed to dry at least overnight before replanting.

As to cutting back the bloom, I deadhead regularly, being careful not to pinch out the 2nd bud if it's a double-socket bloomer. I cut off the stalk when all bloom is done about 1/2 way until it withers enuf to pull from the rhizome.

now I know how dbl. posts happen. No confirmation that your message has been posted!! So I clicked again --- still no confirmation --- figured something was on the fritz and when I come back to try again, phooey, there's the dbl. post!