Dividing Irises

Learn how to care for and divide you irises from Colorado based iris grower Iris4u.
Bob VanLiere with Iris4u is a Commercial Iris grower. On 2.5 acres, the farm produces thousands of new plants each year.
Bob gives advice on digging up the irises and replanting them for new plants in your garden - the best time is Mid-July.
The process:
Dig Up clumps with a pitch fork every 3-5 years. This will prevent dead centers. Old roots will rot - creating dead spots in the plant.
Divide by breaking out the new roots from the old roots. The new roots will have grown since the middle of May. New roots will be light in color compared to the darker older roots.
Divide out the plant so each fan is separate. Cut the fan into a diamond shape (about six inches from the root). Use a sharpie or marker to label the color and variety of the flower. Let each plant sit over night before re-planting.
Prepare the soil with some fresh compost and Triple Super Phosphate (2lbs per 100 square feet). Be sure to mix in the additives well around the hole where you will be planting. Do not place on top of the soil.
Place plants about 12"-18" apart at different angles. This will allow the plants to flower at different times... Just barely cover the root/rhizome base. Irises like to be planted very shallow.
No additional garden fertilizers are necessary.
Once you see the center fan coming out you will know that the plant has been established.
Do not mulch, these plants like to be dry.
Water the plants until they are established. Once they are established they like full sun and warm and dry soil.
For more garden advice - visit digincolorado.com/category/gar...

[@aaron32608]

Purchased our home and our garden is full of these beauties!

[@CreeksideGardener]

We love his tips on feeding and especially about planting in different directions for extending bloom time.

[@veenaboon1071]

Thank you for the tips...and my new journey begins!!

[@kathleenmcdonnell977]

a few close-ups of what he was doing at the table would be helpful - what he kept, what he tossed away etc.

[@rebeccamcnutt5142]

Agreed!

[@Bella-ji5ok]

Yes he went way too fast As if assuming that we knew what he was doing!

[@-.Steven]

Great video! Thank you! How can one not appreciate a flower that is so hearty, beautiful, unique and one that you can be so ruthless with! Love it! Thanks again!

[@leewhitworth1787]

Super demo. Learned something. I always lined up the fans and all plants bloomed at the same time. I’ll appose a few fans next time and enjoy longer blooming. Cool!

[@iceteailoveit2794]

Beautiful

[@FrankBoston]

It’s never a bad time to dig, divide and replant Iris. You do not need any fertilizer, either. Loosen soil and press rhizome down then water. Never bury them like bulbs.

[@cdeedrick]

Now I know why my healthy, big Iris plants have never bloomed...They are only in the sun about 1-2 hours a day. I will be moving them to a sunny location! Thank you.

[@mlady204103]

Great tip about planting iris at angles to each other for interval blooming.

[@danwakin6711]

super helpful! I bought a home with old irises - nonblooming. Rhyzomes were 8" long! This tells me what to do!

[@tammiem1635]

Beautiful! Thanks for the info. Very helpful.

[@irysek69]

Bob my congratulations beautiful irises, beautiful garden Wonderful place on Earth ... Robert.

[@Bulbophile]

very beautiful indeed

[@sheilamontoya7003]

Great tips thank you

[@DenaHamilton]

best how-to for spitting iris!

[@zootybeano]

Never divided in 18 years, Colorado waited til October. I hope I can save some.

[@GardeningWise]

Awesome garden

[@pennyhayes1064]

Be aware this gentleman is in Colorado. July is a bad time of the year to divide and replant irises in hotter climes such as Texas. Way until September here.

[@michelemcguire8995]

I didn't do any of that to my iris and they bloomed awesomely..I just have to separate them this year.

[@pumpkineater_69557]

This is the internet so a lot of people are work watching from different growth hardiness zones

[@SueAnnTomlinson]

Can you divide too late? It's August in Nevada and my irises need it. Also do you need super phosphates in zone 7?

[@deniseblankenship8626]

I have pond irises. They need separated ... badly. It is October now. Should I wait until next July?

[@lbmitchell1777]

I've tried for years to grow these iris for 2 years with no flowers. I've planted them just barely in the soil but have been told by my neighbors that you can't put pine straw around them and that the reason for no flowers? Each year I cut them at a 45 deg angle about 6" high. Still nothing. I have 3 locations, 1 in morning sun, and the other 2 in mostly afternoon sun in North Carolina. We are now going to give it one last try. Will pull them all out, separate as you show and replace in full sun during mid July. Is there anything else we can do after we have planted and separated & add that phosphorus? Thanks.

[@benjamindejonge3624]

Sir Vanlier, a question ? What is the best for perfume and Gin industry

[@susanpratt4061]

What are flocks? I am familiar with plox.....

[@Princess_karen]

I live in upper East Tennessee, love Irises and have several groups of them but have one section that just won’t bloom, I planted them a couple of years ago and they look pretty good but have never bloomed, would that super phosphate help or should I dig them up and try again

[@LongmontJeni]

Phlox, is that the plant you meant at 6:53? This was a very helpful video. My iris are 3 years old, time to dig up and rearrange them!

[@buddyplatt6496]

Help please. I am about to divide my (getting to big) iris. This season my Irises developed a disease, fungal I think. The question is when it's time to divide. Will their old disease though sprayed with baking soda, oil, & dishwashing liquid. Will my divided treated plans be finished from fungal diseases? Would love some help. Thanks guys.

[@Junktiques4u]

Do you use weed killer in the garden? Looks pretty good. I have a weed problem in mine. Thanks for sharing

[@marinaluciadepauladosreis9329]

lindas amo

[@reginaguedes2769]

Como é o nome dessa flor, obrigada

[@larietournelle7904]

5:55 And that all (?) No watering ? Just transplant and they are good (?) I have learn we need too watering for expulse buble of air in soil

[@jillmadigan9841]

The plant is phlox, not flocks.

[@ChaplainDeanna]

It's sunny in February here. Can I dig and replant my iris now?

[@FrankBoston]

Deanna Christian There is never a time you cannot dig, divide or plant Iris. Just do not ever plant them more than 1/2 “ deep. I just press them into loose soil and don’t even cover the rhizome with dirt. I’ve grown and shown iris many years.

[@carpy1252]

Hey, it looks like they're growing in clay soil. I think they might do well for me then!

[@mccommas2]

My Mom's grow fine in clay. I would have thought otherwise.

[@Wyldhare47]

I have clay soil ..n can be hard as a rock..zone 6 ...they do just fine

[@pumpkineater_69557]

A word of explanation would be useful

[@danlewis1871]

Will a rhizome rebloom or just bloom once?

[@digincolorado]

Dan Lewis It will re bloom every year. Irises are perennials.

[@danlewis1871]

Dig In® Colorado Why does the video say an Iris only blooms once?

[@errantelf]

+Dan Lewis Each rhizome only blooms once but new rhizomes will grow out from the original- they call that the mother rhizome and it is the (center/ dead) portion they threw away after breaking off the new growth for replanting.

[@mccommas2]

Also you will get a whole litter of baby iris from each one Iris and then the next year each one of them will also and so on and so on.

[@carpy1252]

So I just planted a few different bareroot Iris, I can expect a litter of babies next year, and will that litter be able to flower the year after that?

[@anilasharma2371]

Very bad recording missed the first segment.

[@cathyrussell68]

phlox

[@herbertgerken9705]

Emu

[@dandugan824]

I wish the shorter guy would quit yapping...