Iris Care After Blooming

The right time to remove the flower stalks is a few days after all the blooms have faded. While the flowers are beautiful, the dead flower stalks are not. Cut them off to keep the plants healthy and looking good.

When should irises be cut back?

'You should begin cutting irises back after flowering and the blooms have all begun to fade. The remainder of the plant's foliage should be left until the first signs of frost, however.

Should I cut the seed pods off my irises?

To help keep your iris healthy and productive, you should remove the seed pods as they develop after flowering, or simply remove the individual spent iris blooms and prevent the seed pod from forming. The flower should come off easily.

How do I get my iris to rebloom again?

Just be sure to 'deadhead' the faded flower spikes promptly so the plants will have time to form new flowers later. Reblooming Iris are heavy feeders and benefit from a light topdressing of compost and Yum Yum Mix applied just after "deadheading" the plants.

Should I cut the leaves off my irises?

Fall Pruning Cutting back the leaves to within 6 inches of the ground once they begin to yellow or look tattered allows the iris to use its energy for healthy root growth instead of trying to maintain the foliage through winter.

What do I do with the pods on my irises?

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.

Should you put mulch on iris?

Since the rhizome likes to be exposed to the sun, we do not use mulch. Mulch can also create moist conditions around the rhizome and not let enough air circulation around the plant, which can cause rotting. If the rhizome gets mushy, that is a condition called rot, which will kill the plant.

When should I dig up and divide my irises?

Mid- to late-summer is a good time to divide bearded irises. You want to make sure that the roots have ample time to grow before winter. You can usually tell that your irises are ready to be divided when a clump looks overgrown, with rhizomes starting to grow into each other and popping up from the soil.

How do I keep my iris blooming all summer?

Summer Care for Your Iris bed

1. Prune. Grab your best pruning shears, and cut back the spent flower stalks near the plant's base.
2. Fertilize. Light fertilization in the summer bodes well for your iris plants' health. ...
3. Weed. Weeds and grasses, left unchecked, will overwhelm your iris beds in little time.

Will iris rebloom if deadheaded?

Removing Siberian iris flowers once they've wilted will not cause the plants to rebloom. Wilted, spent blooms of Siberian iris can be removed to improve the tidy appearance, but deadheading spent flowers is purely cosmetic and has no actual effect on the health or vigor of the plants.

Will iris bloom more than once?

Most irises cease blooming during summer, but rebloomers flourish during the warm months. With long growing seasons, reblooming irises can have three or four reblooms.

Can you cut irises down to the ground?

Leaves can be removed in the fall by trimming them down to a few inches above the soil line. Iris plants are generally cut back in autumn. The leaves can be left to die back naturally at the end of the growing season, or they can be cut back when crisp, freezing weather is in the forecast.

How do you remove dead iris leaves?

Remove broken or diseased leaves right away. Take a pair of bypass pruners and clip these leaves down so they only stick 2 in (5.1 cm) out of the ground. Cutting back damaged or sickly iris foliage can help prevent the disease from hurting your plants in the next growing season.

Should I trim brown iris leaves?

ANSWER: Irises are very tough and, unless you have borers in the rhizomes, it is okay for them to have some brown leaf tips. We always liked to trim them off below the browning with a sharp scissors or pruner, and at a diagonal.

How do you get seeds from iris pods?

Harvesting seeds from iris plants isn't difficult, but the trick is not to lose the hard, brown seeds. Hold a paper bag under the stem, then snip off the iris seed pods one by one, so that they drop into the bag. You can also gather any seeds that have fallen to the ground.

How do you harvest iris seed pods?

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.

Can you cover iris with mulch?

I trim them off as close as I can get to ground level without damaging the new leaves. So one

Are coffee grounds good for irises?

you can use them without composting on top of the ground as a slow release fertilizer, but only in small amounts. The grounds will get moldy if they are piled up too high.

Should iris roots be covered with dirt?

Iris should be planted so the tops of the rhizomes are exposed and the roots are spread out facing downward in the soil. In very light soils or in extremely hot climates, covering the rhizome with 1 inch of soil may be desirable. Firm the soil around each rhizome and then water to help settle the soil.

What kills weeds in iris beds?

Table 1. Preemergence herbicides for controlling broadleaf and grass weeds in irises.
Snapshot (Granular)	isoxaben and trifluralin
Surflan	oryzalin
Treflan and Preen	trifluralin
XL (Amaze)	benefin and oryzalin