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onetexan

(12,994 posts)
Fri Apr 3, 2020, 07:12 PM Apr 2020

Question for iris officionados regarding soaking white iris rhizomes

A neighbor thinned out her white iris border and gave me nearly a hundred rhizomes with foliage for replanting. I had planned to put them in the ground tomorrow but it's been raining cats & dogs here past couple days, and forecasted to rain through next Thursday. I soaked them since Wednesday thinking to keep the foliage green till Saturday. Now that it may rain nonstop this weekend, my question is how long can i soak the iris without killing them? Or should i put them in buckets with dirt till i can plant them. I don't want the foliage to dry up?

Thanks in advance for your help.

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Question for iris officionados regarding soaking white iris rhizomes (Original Post) onetexan Apr 2020 OP
How much foliage? 2naSalit Apr 2020 #1
Its about 2-3 ft high onetexan Apr 2020 #4
You should take them out of water and trim the foliage 2naSalit Apr 2020 #7
Thank you for the tips! I will go & place them on newspapers to dry right now. onetexan Apr 2020 #8
The rhizomes will be fine for weeks msdogi Apr 2020 #2
Yikes, thank u for the info re: rot onetexan Apr 2020 #5
Normally you trim the foliage to 3-4" in a fan shape. OregonBlue Apr 2020 #3
Agree onetexan Apr 2020 #6
Me too. The foliage is beautiful and I use it as a backdrop OregonBlue Apr 2020 #9
I would take them out of the water WhiteTara Apr 2020 #10
whoa, rhizome on top of the soil? onetexan Apr 2020 #11
Thanks for the video. I never made mounds WhiteTara Apr 2020 #12
Thank you for the excellent advice re: half exposing the rhizomes onetexan Apr 2020 #13
Excellent choices WhiteTara Apr 2020 #14

2naSalit

(86,061 posts)
1. How much foliage?
Fri Apr 3, 2020, 07:24 PM
Apr 2020

You'd probably have to trim it off anyway after they get established. Might as well just take them out of the water and wait to put them in the ground when you can. they probably won't bloom this year anyway.

Unless that is why you're soaking them? I never soaked them so I don't know why you would.

onetexan

(12,994 posts)
4. Its about 2-3 ft high
Fri Apr 3, 2020, 07:40 PM
Apr 2020

Lovely green. I read tbat soaking would help hydrate the rhizomes & clean them a bit, but i think best i take them out of the water &lay them to dry. Thanks!

2naSalit

(86,061 posts)
7. You should take them out of water and trim the foliage
Fri Apr 3, 2020, 07:50 PM
Apr 2020

to about 2-3 inches, lay out on newspaper of paper bags for a couple days then you can keep them in a paper bag for a week or whatever until you can put them in the ground and enjoy them in the spring next year.

100 rhizomes is quite a few! I love planting them and seeing what they are the next year... all mine were donated so it was a big surprise the first spring after planting. there were purple ones that smelled like grape bubble gum and some that smelled like root beer and others that smelled like roses. Such a variety makes them delightful to smell as much as marvel at their structure and coloration.

onetexan

(12,994 posts)
8. Thank you for the tips! I will go & place them on newspapers to dry right now.
Fri Apr 3, 2020, 08:05 PM
Apr 2020

I just drained the buckets they're in of water, but i'm thinking laying them out is best. I've never planted iris before but i find the rhizomes & leaves very similar to daylilies, which is just as hardy & won't die in zone 8b heat.
My neighbor has had her flowerbed edging for years and they multiple like crazy. I should have enough to do a border for an extended tree ring in my front yard, enough for several rows about 3" deep. Yes like you i'm excited once they do come in next year, though my neighbor said hers actually came in the first year she planted them.

msdogi

(430 posts)
2. The rhizomes will be fine for weeks
Fri Apr 3, 2020, 07:34 PM
Apr 2020

I pulled out a big bed last year, some waited weeks to be planted. Keep them in shade, in boxes with newspaper over them or with a layer of mulch or dirt to cover. cutback the foliage by 1/2 or so if you haven't, they'll be fine.
Iris are subject to rot, so should not be in water

OregonBlue

(7,744 posts)
3. Normally you trim the foliage to 3-4" in a fan shape.
Fri Apr 3, 2020, 07:37 PM
Apr 2020

Once trimmed they last for a long time. You can put them in buckets or paper bags, keep them moist and plant them as soon as it's dry enough for you to work outside.
They are very forgiving and most will live no matter what you do but many will not bloom until the second year.

OregonBlue

(7,744 posts)
9. Me too. The foliage is beautiful and I use it as a backdrop
Fri Apr 3, 2020, 08:47 PM
Apr 2020

For lower bunching/mounding plants.Love, Love, Love the ever hardy Iris.

WhiteTara

(29,676 posts)
10. I would take them out of the water
Fri Apr 3, 2020, 09:19 PM
Apr 2020

In Africa, these are considered weeds and they are very hardy. Leave them in a dry place (garage) they'll be fine for a few days. When you plant, make sure you only plant the roots and leave the rhizome on top of the soil. If the leaves look droopy, clip them down. They'll come back just fine when you plant. You might not have many flowers this year, but they will come. Enjoy.

onetexan

(12,994 posts)
11. whoa, rhizome on top of the soil?
Fri Apr 3, 2020, 10:32 PM
Apr 2020

In this video i just watched

the lady covered the rhizome and left it "just peaking". Is that what you mean or should i expose the rhizome completely on top?
Hard to believe in Africa they're considered weeds. Just the leaves alone are beautiful.

WhiteTara

(29,676 posts)
12. Thanks for the video. I never made mounds
Fri Apr 3, 2020, 11:05 PM
Apr 2020

for the rhizomes, so that was interesting. I also noted she's in zone 3 which is brrrrrrrrr cold. I'm in 6B/7A and it's much warmer. I moved from zone 10, so I have always left much more on top of the soil. As a matter of fact, last year, I was separating irises and I didn't have time to plant them, so I took large clumps and simply put the whole affair on top of the ground with the full intention of coming back and planting properly. They completely took root and may actually put out flowers. That encouraged me to keep on thinning that bed. These are naturalizing irises. I started out with about a dozen rhizomes from a neighbor when we moved in about 10 years ago and I have separated and moved and given away and separated them. They are quite lovely and faithfully bloom each year, but I digress!
I find that irises do much better when most of the rhizome is above ground, I usually leave out about 1/2 on top and separate when they get too crowded. They are also groundhogs and don't like other plants around them, so create nice beds for them and you'll be rewarded for years and years to come.

onetexan

(12,994 posts)
13. Thank you for the excellent advice re: half exposing the rhizomes
Sat Apr 4, 2020, 04:24 AM
Apr 2020

I'm in zone 8b so it would make sense to do so. so glad these plants are hardy, drought tolerant & require little maintenance. The only flowers i've planted this year so far are daylilies &lantanas, as i know these 2 perennials survive the intense heat.

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