When to separate Bearded Iris bulbs?

Question

I moved into a house that has a TON of bulbs. Whom ever lived there before planted them and now 5 years later I have discovered that one plant had about 18 bulbs. I dug those up early in the spring. We replanted them. We are not quite sure what type of bulbs they are because they were so many in one hole. They never grew anything but the leafs. So I separated them and replanted them in another full sun spot. I think I did it in the wrong time of the year because I got nothing this summer from them. Maybe I just missed my window for transplanting. Should I dig these up and store in my refrigerator?

My question about the Bearded iris is should I break these up? There has to be at least 9 bulbs that are producing. When and how should I go about this. I don't want to ruin the bulbs or kill them by transplanting at the wrong time of the year like I did with the mystery bulbs before. Also should the top of the bulb be sticking out when I replant or should the whole bulb be underground?

Humm maybe this is why the others didn't make it! Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am new to all of this stuff!

Thank you in advance!!!

Answer 1

The best time to divide bearded iris is after the blooming season, from July through October.

Plant divisions 10 to 18 inches apart in a good organic and well drained soil, to a depth to where the rhizome is just covered.

See source for more info

Answer 2

You were correct by relocating the bulbs in a sunny location, Iris are full sun plants.  As far as when to replant them I would plant them before the grow gets hard, I live in New England and we get snow.   So anytime will be just fine.

Also, I don't believe you planted your Iris during the wrong time, so some reason they may have gone into dormancy.  You will probably get blooms a year late.

Answer 3

you should transplant them in the fall you may or may not get flowers the first year but don't worry you will the second year

Answer 4

Bearded irises don't grow from bulbs  - they grow from tubers. These are kind of lumpy brown roots that grow along the surface. You can dig these up and separate them into pieces. As long as each piece has some leaves and roots, they should survive. The tubers should be planted so that the leaves are on the north side, and the tuber is exposed on the surface. Flowers develop best when the tuber is baked by the summer sun. It is a bit late, but not too late to be dividing irises. The best time is soon after they have flowered.

As for true spring bulbs, the best time to divide and transplant them is in the fall (September-October). If the bulbs are small they may not flower next spring. You need to get some good leaf growth in the spring and early summer to develop good-sized bulbs that will flower the following year. Don't dig up bulbs and store them in a refrigerator. The best place for them is in the ground.

Answer 5

I couldn't say it better than Sandy G. Make sure part of the tuber is above ground. I recently saw a PBS gardening show where each tuber was sliced apart with a sharp knife.

Happy Gardening!

BB