Do iris rebloom

Question

My irises have bloomed and wanted to know if I can cut back the leaves to thin out the bed

Answer 1

Most iris do not rebloom although breeders are working on that. They do benefit from being divided as the rhizomes become very crowded otherwise. Being crowded stresses the plants and may result in fewer blooms. So division and replanting is beneficial. It’s much easier to do this if you cut the large leaves by half. Work some compost into the soil. The “mother” tuber/rhizome is the one that bloomed this year. It will not bloom again so should be removed. Offshoots from the mother grow to bloom in one to two years. Here is an article with more information. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/iris/divide-bearded-irises.htm