When do you divide iris?

[Fragile Warrior]

Now or in the fall? And when do you decide they NEED dividing? Should it be done routinely just to propagate more each year? We had the most gorgeous iris* come up in the garden and I want to make sure that THIS one blooms profusely next year.

*purple and white marbled -- I really love it

[Dwayne]

I have to divide mine every second or third year. When the "clump" gets to be pretty good sized it is time to do it. If you let them go very many more years than that, mine have quit blooming and died.

I divide mine after they quit blooming. I cut the "clump" in half with a shovel, dig one of the halves up, cut it into 2 or more pieces again. Then I replant, give them away, or compost them. If I don't do it this way mine don't bloom the next year but the second year after transplanting.

Could you post a picture of your prize. I have two purple and white, but I wouldn't call them marbled.

Dwayne

[Fragile Warrior]

Marbled is my word for them, I have no idea if that's the proper term or not. I posted two pictures in alt.binaries.pictures.gardens under the subject line "Marbled Iris". I hope that's the right group. If not, let me know which one you want to access and I'll try to repost them there.

The photos look a little more blue to me than I'd like them to look. They really are a rich purple, not blue.

Thanks for the dividing info, too.

Giselle

[Ralph D.]

Here is one of the best dividing sites I've seen for Irises.

Our Irises never seem to be real profuse the first year after but then WOW! We are a little disappointed that this year we had a hard freeze at the point where our purple and blues were to pop, but the peach that always run few weeks behind are showing nicer than they ever have. At least we hope it was just the weather that ruined the others' blooms.

Anyhow... try that link... it seems to have the best of many sites rolled into it.

HTH, YMMV