Why Were My Irises So Puny?

[GardenGeisha]

I divided my irises last fall, and I thought they'd do well this Spring, but I have had very few blossoms, compared to past years. Only one set of white irises did well. What do you suppose went wrong? The foliage was puny, and the blossoms (what few I had) were puny (except for the whites, which I did NOT divide. The nearby blues, which I also did NOT divide, didn't bloom at all, and they are usually my loveliest irises. So very strange.

 

[digitS']

Hi GardenGeisha, I'm going to guess that you divided most because the iris were crowded and the blues should have been included in the process.

The whites were doing fine in all recent years. The had another good year.

The blues should not have gone through another crowded spring. Everything else suffered some degree of transplanting shock.

Steve
& isn't july the proper time for you to divide iris???

 

[ducks4you]

I am swimming in black iris right now. I had to transplant a big patch bc I need to clear out some poison ivy that started growing there. They all had flowers when I moved them and several tried REALLY HARD to bloom. Doesn't matter. They need to soak in all of the sunshine that they can get to build up reserves. I noticed that the tubers on these are 4x the size of the ones on the north side of the garage. They really prefer full sun. Do you have yours in partial shade? That could be the reason.

 

[GardenGeisha]

Hi GardenGeisha, I'm going to guess that you divided most because the iris were crowded and the blues should have been included in the process.

The whites were doing fine in all recent years. The had another good year.

The blues should not have gone through another crowded spring. Everything else suffered some degree of transplanting shock.

Steve
& isn't july the proper time for you to divide iris???

Actually, the Blues and Whites were planted at the same time, years ago, and they are intermingled. The Blues are no more crowded than the Whites. They are equally enmeshed. Last year the Blues were glorious, and so were the Whites. The year before, neither bloomed. The year before that the Blues Bloomed, but the Whites didn't. In previous years they both bloomed. My iris are not in shade. I forgot to mention that one patch of iris that have been there as long as the Blues and Whites, a patch of silver iris, has bloomed well the past several years. This year it still had several blooms, but not as many as in recent years, and these have never been divided. What was interesting to me was these were punier-sized than in past years, too, even though they had no transplant shock. I think it must have been an off year for iris here?

 

[GardenGeisha]

Actually, the Blues and Whites were planted at the same time, years ago, and they are intermingled. The Blues are no more crowded than the Whites. They are equally enmeshed. Last year the Blues were glorious, and so were the Whites. The year before, neither bloomed. The year before that the Blues Bloomed, but the Whites didn't. In previous years they both bloomed. My iris are not in shade. I forgot to mention that one patch of iris that have been there as long as the Blues and Whites, a patch of silver iris, has bloomed well the past several years. This year it still had several blooms, but not as many as in recent years, and these have never been divided. What was interesting to me was these were punier-sized than in past years, too, even though they had no transplant shock. I think it must have been an off year for iris here?

I am swimming in black iris right now. I had to transplant a big patch bc I need to clear out some poison ivy that started growing there. They all had flowers when I moved them and several tried REALLY HARD to bloom. Doesn't matter. They need to soak in all of the sunshine that they can get to build up reserves. I noticed that the tubers on these are 4x the size of the ones on the north side of the garage. They really prefer full sun. Do you have yours in partial shade? That could be the reason.

I am swimming in black iris right now. I had to transplant a big patch bc I need to clear out some poison ivy that started growing there. They all had flowers when I moved them and several tried REALLY HARD to bloom. Doesn't matter. They need to soak in all of the sunshine that they can get to build up reserves. I noticed that the tubers on these are 4x the size of the ones on the north side of the garage. They really prefer full sun. Do you have yours in partial shade? That could be the reason.

Black irises sound really pretty!

 

[GardenGeisha]

Yes, irises are to be divided in July and August. I divided mine in August, but the chickens dug some of them up, and I had to replant those in late August/early September. That might have delayed some of them, timing-wise, but it wouldn't account for all of them, or those in the locations that were not dug up by the chickens. In locations where only 1 iris out of 30 had bloomed last year, before dividing, the same phenomenon occurred this year. One iris out of 30 bloomed. Very strange. In the other patch, where one maybe 3-4 iris out of 30 bloomed last year, not a one bloomed this year. I recall that last year the blues budded after the whites, and I keep looking, for the whites are in full glory now, but I see nary a blue bud.

 

[Nyboy]

@ducks4you If you have any extra I would love some black irises, I have lots to trade.

 

[ducks4you]

@ducks4you If you have any extra I would love some black irises, I have lots to trade.

WE need to talk.

 

[ninnymary]

I only have a few iris's but whenever I move them, they take a year to get back to normal.

Mary

 

[ducks4you]

I KNOW!!! So you better know what color they are after you have transplanted them. After a year, however you are rewarded with lots of flowers, so I think it's worth it.