Can one transplant irises and peonies in the spring? They have just started growing and they are antiques. Some of the family is wanting them.
Irises bloom in the spring, so if you transplant now, they probably won't bloom this year. They are best transplanted during their dormant period, which is late summer. Peonies resent being disturbed, but if you need to transplant them, the best time is fall.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/peony/moving-established-peonies-2.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/iris/divide-bearded-irises.htm
I am moving from Denver, CO area to Austin, Tx area. I want to take my wild irises with me. How can I best do this and have them survive the move? Is there a time frame? Will they adapt to this different environment?
Yes, you can take them with you. You can either dig them up and plant them in containers, or you can dig them up, let them dry, then store them in a cool place till you are ready to plant. Try to replant within a year. Make sure they have afternoon shade in their new environment. If they are Pacific Coast natives, they do best in the Western environment .
https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20080920075242/http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_irmi.pdf
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/iris-virginica/
https://www.irises.org/gardeners/care-classification/beardless-irises/
See the photos. This "wrinkling" has appeared on the back rows of plants in two iris beds that abut our front porch. I am not seeing this in another other iris beds we have and this is the first time I have seen it in over 4 decades of growing irises here. The leaves look a healthy green. The symptoms are at the upper end of the leaves. As it is appearing in most of the plants in the back row adjacent to the covered porch, I wonder if the cause might be related to any critters living under the porch.
It is usually related to weather and does not affect the iris. It occasionally can be caused by insects so check the leaves thoroughly for pests like aphids.
I planted four bearded iris last year. I got one bearded iris. It was beautiful though so really didn't care. This year I still have bearded iris getting ready to bloom. It has been very exciting. The four plants have just exploded and they need to be divided. Thank you for your assistance.
I suggest waiting another year. Dividing could set them back and you may not see blooms next year. When you do divide, wait till they are dormant in late summer.
Here is how:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/iris/divide-bearded-irises.htm
est month for this? These irises had been declining in blooms for quite a few years, so this wasn't sudden
This is fortunate timing! Now is the perfect time to lift and divide Irises! These articles will help you to do so, successfully:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/iris/dividing-transplanting-iris.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/iris/divide-bearded-irises.htm
I have a pond with about fifty feet of shoreline which I would like to cover with water irises. I have three clumps of water iris plants (wild) already on three locations of the pond bank. What would you recommend for planting the seeds directly to the bank rather than going through the germination process and a few transplantings. I have harvested about 5,000 seeds from the three clumps. Thanks..
Since you have some growing, already, it is likely that they will self seed and germinate! With this being said, I would recommend going through the tedious process of planting 2 or 3 seeds in each location that you would want them. They will germinate within a few weeks. This should be done at the end of October.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/iris/water-iris-plant-care.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/iris/harvesting-seeds-from-iris.htm
Good morning! When is the best time to fertilize iris?
You can fertilize them with a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer like 6-10-10 or something similar, one month before they bloom and one month after they bloom.