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One spring many years ago, an older friend of mine dug up an iris bed at her home. They were bearded irises -- a lovely shade of lilac purple -- and she moved some of them to a different location. The irises had already started to grow and were about four inches high. She didn't know what to do with the remaining irises, so she put them in a box, intending to give them away.
As it turned out, the irises remained in the box for more than two weeks. By now, she didn't feel she could give them away because she didn't think they would grow. I offered to take the irises and plant them, just to see what would happen.
The irises were not one bit bothered about being in a box for more than two weeks with no water and no dirt around their roots. I planted them, they started growing, and they're still going strong more than 25 years later.
In the past two decades, I have thinned out the irises and planted them in other locations. I have also found irises growing by old homesteads where no buildings remain (I live in rural Wisconsin) and have dug them up and transplanted them in my yard. Each year in early June, the irises bloom in a variety of colors: white, blue, yellow and purple.
Here's how to transplant irises:
1. Prepare the new flower bed where you intend to plant the irises.
2. Use a shovel to dig up the roots that you want to transplant. Irises have very tough root systems. If the irises are exceptionally thick, a trowel probably won't do the trick. Stick the shovel into the dirt among the irises and start digging. And don't worry about cutting the roots with the shovel. You won't be able to avoid it. Irises spread by their roots, so many of the plants will be connected. Even a short section of root stands an excellent chance of transplanting.
3. Dig holes with a trowel about four inches deep and eight to ten inches apart. Put the iris roots into the holes and cover with soil.
4. Water the transplanted irises thoroughly. For the remainder of the season, water the irises a couple of times each week, especially when rain is in short supply.
Observations about irises:
1. From what I have seen of the irises growing in my flower beds, they are tough plants that are quite drought resistant. Like any plant, they will do better when they receive plenty of water, but during years when it has been dry, they have still survived extremely well. And of course, the irises that I dug up from old homesteads didn't have any help at all during drought years, and *they* made it just fine.
2. The irises in my yard seem to do equally well in full sun or in partial shade.
3. Trimming the iris leaves after the plants are done blooming to give more room and more light to other plants nearby doesn't seem to bother the irises. For the past couple of years, I have trimmed irises growing next to my rose bush, and the following year, the irises have come back as strong as ever.
About The Author:
LeAnn R. Ralph is the author of the books "Christmas in Dairyland (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm" (trade paperback 2003); "Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam" (trade paperback 2004); "Preserve Your Family History (A Step-by-Step Guide for Interviewing Family Members and Writing Oral Histories" (e-book 2004). You are invited to read sample chapters and to sign up for the free monthly newsletter, Rural Route 2 News -- http://ruralroute2.com
By
09/16/2011
Thanks for the transplanting tips. I have some yellow & brown Iris' growing in the back side of the yard Facing South west near the back door & want to move them to the front of the house where they''ll get noticed, but will get morning sun & late afternoon sun. They grow fine where they are & only get late sun there, but I also want to clean up that spot to put some Tulips, Crocus, Hyasinth & Daffodil bulbs in for Spring. I guess I have to get some chicken wire to cover & protect them just in case any critters try to eat them. We have squirrels, birds & cats but I haven't seen anything else around; or heard any complaints about it from the neighbors. I live near the highway, right in back of an exit on Highway 95 in RI. There is a small patch of land there with trees & grass & the cats cut through my yard to roam the area when they aren't busy urinating in my garden plots! I've tried putting Lavander plants out there near the outside of them because I read that cats hate the smell of it & won't go near the garden-but it hasn't helped very much. Wish me luck with the transplanting- I can use all the Luck I can get. : )
By
05/01/2005
Irises have rhizomes. Roots grow on the bottom and sides of the rhizomes. When planting the rhizome place the rhizome at ground level with the roots going into the soil. Then water well. Rhizomes of regular irises (not siberian and not other water loving irises) will NOT like to be buried and then be kept wet. They will then rot. They like to sun themselves, as you can observe on an established iris bed.
Irises can survive for months out of the soil. If you forgot to transplant the iris don't worry, the majority of the irises are fine with waiting. Now...do not leave regular irises in water until you are ready to transplant. Then you will have a stinking mush to throw out instead.
LeAnn, I hope that you had permission from the owners of the "abandoned" homesteads that you took the irises from. Just because no one lives there does not mean that anyone can go and help themselves from the plants at the site. That is called stealing.
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