I asked earlier regarding mothers iriss When should I tell them to plant. Most family live in Tennessee....but one in Virginia. Would April be ok.
Yes... That is typically a good time. When the ground can be worked, then they can be planted. They are actually Pretty cold hardy, depending on the cultivar, but they will do best if wintered indoors until you can plant them. After that, they will survive, completely, on their own. In fact, you will find that over a year or two, you might need to "thin the herd" a little. They will multiply!
Why would 2 entire raised beds of irises (all shades of blue) all be a different color this year when they have been beautiful blue for 3 years? They are under crape myrtles. No dogs in this fenced yard. I created the beds so nothing planted there before. The "new" irises are solid red, red and white and red and yellow. The ground is clay and tends to be too wet to plant so we made the raised containers each about 4'X5'. and filled with about 18" of amended soil. The Crape mytles are almost 20' tall now and the irises have done very well beneath them and been shades deep blue to light blue for at least 3 yrs. now.
I can only offer one solution, and that is because iris color is, solely, a genetic trait. The only thing that I could think of that would have caused this is outcrossing, or hybridizing with any nearby beds of colored iris. They can drop seed, and germinate, which would cause the iris colors to take the trait of both, or either of the parents.
Midwest Ok. I want to grow lovely Iris that stand up.
These articles will help you.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/iris/growing-siberian-iris.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/iris/growing-flag-iris-plants.htm
My irises have bloomed and wanted to know if I can cut back the leaves to thin out the bed
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
I have Irises from my Mother's garden. After blooming some of them have a large green bulb like growth on the end of the stalk. What is this? I want to keep these growing healthy since they are all I have from my Mother's garden and she has passed on. They were beautiful this spring and neighbors came by just to see them.
These are the seed pods. You can try saving and planting seeds or remove them to keep your plants nice and healthy.
About two months after pollination, the seed pod will turn brown and split open. Harvest the golden brown seeds in a small paper cup, and allow them to dry out for a couple more months. Keep the cup in a cool, dry place. Be sure to keep the record of the parents with the seed.
In late October plant the seed about 3/4 inch deep and 1 inch apart in well drained soil. Again, label your plantings clearly so that you can identify the sprouts next spring. The planted seed should spend the winter outdoors, planted in full sun.
once the iris blooms, the round/oval ball under the bloom, (i call it the seed ball) -- should they be cut off and open/sliced open to removed the insides or can these be planted whole? I like to see what comes out of those
To keep the seedpod, let the seedpods ripen and turn fully brown and begin to split open before you cut them off and store them in a cool, dry place.
In the fall, as it begins to cool, plant the seeds in the garden in an area prepared with amended soil and that is weed free. Plant the seeds about ½” to ¾” deep and a few inches apart, and mark the area.
They will not flower the first spring, but they should the second. The new Iris will probably not be the same color as the mother plant was, as most Irises are hybrids and do not breed true.
in my garden many are blooming.....and many are not although their green leafs are very healthy looking. What should I do? Do I dig up the ones that have not bloomed....if so what can I do with them?
This could be a new offshoot that will bloom next year, or they could be seedlings that will bloom in a few years. Either way, they will bloom eventually. It is not necessary to do anything with these, as this is a natural process.