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Care & Maintenance of Bearded Iris
Bearded Iris are elegant members of your flower garden, and with scheduled maintenance they can become a beautiful and fragrant addition with minimal pest and disease problems.
You can divide bearded iris anytime after flowering through August. Work a spade around the bearded iris plant and gently lift the rhizomes out of the soil. Since bearded iris are grown at soil level, this is one of the easiest plants to lift. Shake off any loose soil, and rinse off any remaining soil with a garden hose. Inspect for root damage, pest, or rot. Small to medium holes, or dark streaks are telltale signs of borer damage. Also look for soft spots as this is another common iris problem called soft rot. Using a sharp knife or pruners, remove any traces of either iris borer damage or soft rot and dispose of these segments of rhizome. Soft rot spreads easily, so disinfect your cutting tool with denatured alcohol between cuts, to prevent further contamination.
Once the rhizomes are cleaned, you can easily separate the individual rhizomes from one another, and cut the foliage to about 6 inches. Cutting the leaves (fans) makes the plant easier to work with when replanting, and helps prevent water loss while the plant is becoming re-established. The fan does not need to be cut symmetrically, and due to damage in handling some leaves will need to be cut shorter than 6 inches. Now you are ready to divide the rhizomes. You will see natural places to make a split, such as where the rhizome has forked. Study the rhizome and make sure each section you have chosen will wind up being at least 3 inches long and will have healthy roots growing from it. Then go ahead and make a clean cut through the rhizome, using the same sharp, disinfected knife or pruner. I purchase kitchen scissors and carving knives from the $1 store for my bearded iris divisions.
The final step is re-planting your bearded iris. Choose a full sun location and start by digging a shallow hole that will be wide enough to spread out the rhizome's roots. Make the hole about 2-3 inches deep, then create a mound in the center of the hole to just about soil level. Soak the soil in the planting hole. Then take a rhizome division and place it in the center of the mound. Spread the roots around and down the mound. Cover the division with soil, being careful not to bury the rhizome with more than an inch or 2 of soil. Remember, it will probably settle a bit lower and bearded iris will rot and certainly won't bloom, if buried too deeply. Insure that you leave 6-8 inches between plants as they are vigorous spreaders, and will fill in an area within one or two seasons. Also, this permits good air circulation between the plants. Water well and do so weekly until you start to notice new growth. I use a slow released plant fertilizer several times each season – before flowering; after division/replanting; late summer; and mid October. A weed preventer may also be used to minimized weed infestations. I also use a plant fungicide every three-four weeks throughout the season to minimize pest & rot problems. Then enjoy for another couple of years before another round of dividing will be necessary.
