Care of Iris After They Finish Blooming
Care of Iris After They Finish Blooming
Iris are lovely plants and they grow well in many parts of the country. This isn’t a “plant and forget” type of perennial, however and our customers often ask what to do with their iris plants after they flower. Here are some tips for iris care:
- Once the iris blooms have faded, cut the old stems down into the leaves. This removes the less-than-attractive stalk and removes developing seeds so that they won’t produce seedlings throughout the garden.
- As long as the foliage is green and attractive leave it in the garden. Some bearded iris varieties tend to get leaf-spot or die-back as the summer wears on. If you see this on your plants you can cut the foliage down to neaten the look of the garden. Most people cut the groups of leaves in a fan shape that peaks about six to eight inches above the ground.
- If your iris didn’t flower well this year it could be that they are in too much shade or that they need dividing. Sometimes the amount of sunlight in a garden changes over time as surrounding shrubs and trees grow larger. Evaluate the sun that actually hits your plants over the course of a day to determine if your plants are now in less than four hours of direct sun. If so, make plans to move them. Should the problem be that they need dividing, go on to the next tip!
- To divide iris dig the entire clump out of the ground. Take off pieces of the outside, most vital growth. Look to see what part of the plant is most healthy and full looking and use that. Cut off a piece that’s about the size of a small dinner plate to put back in the ground. Amend the soil in the area where the plants are to go by mixing in some compost or composted manure. If you are dividing bearded iris (AKA German iris) replant so that the top of the rhizomes is just above the surface of the soil. Note: don’t think that you have to replant every bit of the iris you’ve just divided…remember that every piece you put back into the ground will need dividing again in about five years. If you want a low-maintenance garden put back one to three pieces and throw the rest in the compost pile or give them away. Iris can be divided immediately after flowering, in the early fall (early September on Cape Cod), or in late April. Iris that are divided in the spring or fall may not flower for a year or two as they get reestablished.
- Fertilize your iris with an organic fertilizer in the spring. Water deeply once a week if it hasn’t rained. Frequent splashing of automatic irrigation systems can cause leaf-spot on these plants, especially on the bearded varieties.
- If you love iris and want a succession of flowering, plant bearded, Siberian and Japanese varieties…that way you’ll have flowers from the spring into July!
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Thank you.
Thank you. This is a wonderful, helpful article. I like the idea of different kinds of iris to extend the blooming season. I must try that!
Will look forward to trying your suggestions on caring for my beautiful iris. Its a joy to see these beautiful plants flourish. Thank you for the hints.
we planted bulbs last year..purple…they bloomed in march..this year blooms again purple …white…yellow..a lovely surpri se…thank u 4 the advice..my favorites +i want 2 keep them going…EVE AHARON IN ISRAEL
Thank you so much for this advice. Ours are very well established and with now seperate them. I left the stems last year as thought they had to be left for the goodness to grown back like daffodils, but now ours are finishing to flower I will cut all the stems out. Xx
Thank you for the info!! Dividing now.
I was given several plants, but I’m not wanting to replant until spring. What is the best way to store the bulbs?
Peggy – the best way to store the tubers is by planting them in dirt. You can move them in the spring, but get them in the soil asap because if you store them longer it’s likely they will dry out and die.
I divided some iris last year, cutting off what looked like dead or dried up parts and threw them at the edge of the woods. Carefully transplanted the good ones adding bone meal. They bloomed beautifully this year. And guess what? The ones tossed by the woods also grew and a few dropped in the yard. No blooms but maybe next year. Obviously they are very hardy!
What about crabgrass and weeds growing around my irises?
Lori
You’ll have to pull the weeds out by hand. Iris are not weed-smothering perennials, so need maintenance (weeding) on an on-going basis. Garden gloves and some time are all it takes!
Is there something I can do to beautify the
space where the iris/leaves once bloomed ?
Yes! You can plant colorful annuals next to the iris, or place a colorful pot filled with annual flowers in front of Iris.
After the irises have stopped blooming, do i keep watering them to promote growth of the rhizome?
Yes, you would water deeply once a week if nature hasn’t delivered an inch of rain that week.
I have beautiful white irises and planted purple n white ones in between hoping for a show and they all bloomed purple. What happened.
what to do with iris after it blooms (this one is in a 6″ pot)
Sorry, Aurora, but we don’t get photos in the comments. I’d suggest that you take the picture into your local garden center (here if you’re on Cape Cod!) for advice.
Question: some of the iris I dug up we week and mushy. I think so kind of worm or bug got to them. What should I do.
John in Illinois
There is a borer that attacks this plant. You can find more information here: https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/iris-borers
My tubers are out of control. They are on both side of the fence, above and below ground, and intertwined with each other. How do I divide and how much of the tubers can I get rid of?
You can dig and divide these now or in the fall. You dig all out of the soil, and pull or cut off a piece from the outer edge to replant. That’s the most vital growth. Plant so that the top of the “tuber,” which actually a rhizome, has the top showing above the soil surface. Put the oldest parts of the plant in the compost. Usually people will take off a pice about 10″ in diameter to replant.
Great information. Thank you.
My iris’s have bloomed and now produced these pods at the end of the stalks, i assume they’re seeds but how do i start new plants with them?
If you want to plant those seeds you should leave the pods on the plants until the seeds are mature. Wait until the pods turn yellow later in the summer, then cut them and place them in an envelope indoors to cure. Start iris seeds in the very early spring indoors, transplanting them to a larger container or into the garden in early summer. Know that if your iris is a hybrid (and most of them area) the plants that you grow from their seeds are likely to be different. You might get plants that are different in size or have different colors of flowers.
Hi — Great content, questions, and answers. I have 2 beds that are thick with iris and badly in need of dividing. Can I safely do that now in mid-July per your directions. Or would it be better to wait for September? I live in Santa Fe NM and the summer days are hot.
In your part of the country I would wait until September to move them. Keep them watered once a week after moving if it doesn’t rain much in the fall.
I’m going to try dividing my irises that have grown big and are laying on the ground in a mess. Can I cut them down as described (like a fan about 15-20 cm high) first, and then dig them up and divide?
Yes – cut them down, dig, divide and replant right away. Water them in well after planting.