April 2019 | 111
PLANTING
Dig two parallel
troughs and lay the
rhizomes on
the crest
between them,
splaying out
roots. Pat the
rhizome onto
the crest and
backfill the troughs,
keeping the top
of the rhizome
partially exposed.
Keep soil moist as
roots form.
LIGHT & SOIL
Choose a spot with
well-drained soil
that receives 6–8 hours
of sunlight or,
in hot and arid
regions, light
filtered
shade.
how to grow
Bearded iris shoots and roots grow from rhizomes—
thickened underground stems—and bloom
between April and June, with some varieties
reblooming in the fall. They’ll grow in Zones 3–10.
The best time to plant is generally late
summer to fall. (Confirm the timing for your
region when you buy rhizomes.)
WATERING
Norris cites
overwatering as a
common mistake
among gardeners
new to growing
bearded iris. Allow
the soil to dry out
between waterings
once the plants are
established.
SOURCES
Find a wide array at
suttoniris.com and
schreinersgardens
.com and a selection
of some of our
editors’ favorites at
BHGGarden
Store.com/Iris. n
DIVIDING
Rhizomes produce
offshoots that
become crowded
after two to three
years, causing them
to stop taking up
enough nutrients.
“Fewer flowers
mean it’s time to
divide,” Norris says.
To do so, about six
weeks after
flowering, lift a
clump of iris with
a garden fork,
cut off the small
knobby offshoots
from the largest
central rhizome
(which is the
oldest), then replant
all the rhizomes.
‘GET BACK’
CR
AF
TS
A
ND
BA
CK
GR
OU
ND
S:^
KIM
H
UT
CH
ISO
N
