READER’S QUESTION

MY CLUMP of dwarf bearded irises usually flowers freely. But this year there’s a lot of leaf and only three flower stems. What went wrong?

Mrs I. Hopgood, Devon your plant is overcrowded. To flower profusely, dwarf bearded irises should be lifted, and divided every second or third year.

The youngest divisions are then re-planted. As soon as the last flower fades, dig up the clump. Break up the dense mass of rhizomes and discard aged ones.

Save the healthiest and break those down into single sections. Each should have young roots and one, or at the most two, leaf ‘fans’. Plant the best in a sunny spot.