How to grow Bearded Iris

Remove faded flowers.

When your iris gets overcrowded you may choose to divide it. Iris should be dividing in late summer to late fall depending on your climate. Look for when Iris would normally be sown in your area to see when a good time to divide Iris. Dig up your clump and discard any mushy rhizomes or any that appear rotten or otherwise unhealthy. Take the rest and cut them with clean pruning shears about 3-4 inches long each (or look for narrow spots where they would naturally brake). Plant each new rhizome section in it’s new location as soon as possible.

For storing rhizomes (if you plan to move to a different house or trade them) cut off the foliage and store them in a cool dry place such as a fridge, or cold garage or shed. Try to plant them as quickly as possible but they may survive up to 6 months. They might not bloom for a year or two as they recover from storage.

As Bearded iris is very hardy, ensure temperatures are mild enough to plant out - wait until after your last frost date to be on the safe side.

These estimates for how long Bearded iris takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

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Iris germanica L.