Best Time To Separate Iris Bulbs

When well cared for iris plants will need to be divided on a regular basis.

Best time to separate iris bulbs.

Take care when digging that you don t damage the bulbs themselves. Looking at the thick horizontal many branched root that produces the bearded iris iris. Many gardeners wonder when is the best time to transplant iris and how should one go about moving iris from one place to another. Carefully dig up your iris clumps with a spade shovel and gently lift each clump from the soil.

Remember that bulbs tend to pull themselves deeper than they were originally planted and spread out. When your iris bed starts becoming really overgrown it is a good idea to dig up the bulbs and separate them and either share the bulbs with a friend or move some of them to another part of your yard. The best time to divide irises is during late summer usually anytime between july and the first of september. If tried on other irises be aware that there may be delays in flowering as a result.

Plant irises in late summer to early fall when nighttime temperatures remain between 40 and 50 degrees fahrenheit or above. The bulbs start multiplying and before you know it you have irises all over the place and they are trying to grow over the top of each other. This article applies to the bearded iris the best known of the irises. Transplanting iris is a normal part of iris care.

Given that division can differ slightly between irises it is important to know which irises you are seeking to divide. The best time to move bulbs is when the foliage is just about gone the plant is no longer actively growing the bulb is recharged and you can still see where they are. This gives them plenty of time to get established before the coming winter. The word bulb can be a bit confusing when applied to an iris.

Lift the clump of iris plants from the ground with a spade or fork. The best time to dig up iris bulbs or rhizomes in the garden is between the last days of summer and early fall.