The time is now to dig up and replant established iris bed
Q : My mom wants to dig up her established iris bed and reposition everything. Is now the time to attempt this project? — M.H., West Side
A: It sure is time to dig up, glean and heel in an iris bed. Especially if the bed has been growing, undisturbed, for three or more growing seasons. I just wish it were cooler, weather-wise, not only for the plants, but also for you, while you’re doing this sort of project. So, with that, I’d recommend aiming to do the work in the early part of the day to take advantage of the lower temperatures.
Now, as far as tools, you’ll want a pitchfork to up-root the iris clumps without causing much damage to the iris; a hoe or sharp spade to break up any dirt clods; and a stiff-tined rake to help turn in any extra soil amendments you might consider adding and to smooth the area after the soil has been tilled and broken up. As you uproot the clumps, lay them on a tarp, a sheet or newspaper — several layers thick — and move to the shade because now you get to glean through the clumps. Knock off as much of the soil surrounding the plants as possible and get that back in the bed. What you should have is a cluster of mature and young iris or pups all being borne on a fleshy, ginseng-looking root or foot. Now snap apart (and “snap” is how it’ll sound and feel) the mature plants and the pups. Some of the “feet” might feel gushy and, if so, pitch them. They are failing and probably won’t ever grow into healthy plants. You just need to be sure that every piece you snap apart has some of the fleshy foot/ root attached. The leaves of the more mature plants can be cut back into the shape of an arrow pointing up, away from the root, to a length of 6 inches or, better, 8 inches, so they look all tidy.
I like to leave my separated tidied plants out of the ground for a day so the breaks heal over before re-planting, but there is no hard and fast rule about that. I would suggest you dust the pieces with dusting sulfur just before you replant. This process is quite stinky, so wear old clothing and disposable gloves you really don’t care about. In a paper bag, place some of the dusting sulfur, then place a couple of your gleaned plants in the bag. Do a Shake ‘N Bake-type movement to coat the iris, shake them off a bit, then get ready to replant. Look at the pieces. Ideally, you’ll have pieces that have a knobby foot with green strap leaves extending from it. Where the foot meets the leaves should be the barest color change from root to pale white to green leaf. You use that color change area as a guide as to how deep to plant. The foot, up to the top of the color change, is how deep the iris is set. Not much of the green strap leaf, if any, is buried.
As you get each foot into the ground, leaving several inches of space between each new plant, tamp the soil down firmly to settle them. Once you’ve planted all you can fit in the old bed without overcrowding, give the area a long slow sprinkling of water. That’ll really help the settling of the bed. Now, you will have leftovers, so you get find new homes for them and that’s usually an easy thing to do. This is one of my favorite garden “chores” and I hope you do well with it, since there is nothing prettier than a healthy stand of iris! Happy Digging In.
The time is rapidly approaching: The application for the 2017 Albuquerque Area Extension Master Gardener Class, starting Jan. 10 and continuing for 13 weeks, will be available online only at www.abqmastergardeners.org on Aug. 15. It’s best you plan on attending the informational meeting on Aug. 11 at 4 p.m. at the Albuquerque Garden Center, 10120 Lomas NE, so you can learn the who, what, why on becoming a Master Gardener in the Albuquerque area. By attending the info meeting, you’ll be offered “Registration Preference” for the 2017 class, so mark your calendars, get set to learn lots and be part of a remarkable community of gardeners. Enjoy!
Need tips on growing your garden? Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send your gardenrelated questions to Digging In, Rio West, P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, NM 87103.