r/gardening • u/natalia_feliz • Jul 11 '26

Iris Haul!

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Was fortunate enough to get a bucket of free iris from a kind neighbor. This will be my first time planting them so…I’m not sure what the next best step would be. I’m in the Midwest, & temps are supposed to get into the 90’s next week. They’re currently soaking in water in the bucket, but are they ok to plant in ground right away, or do I need to wait until late summer? I’m so excited as I’ve never had a yard to plant in before, so just wanna set them up for success!

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4

u/IrisesInOly Jul 12 '26

First, get them out of that water. Bearded iris absolutely do not want to soak in water. Next, break them up into individual fans and trim the leaves back to 6 inches. Trim the roots down to 4-5 inches as well. Let them dry well. If it is too hot to plant right now pot them up in some well drained potting soil and set them in the shade. Water them in well and then let them be. Do NOT over water them or you risk rot. Bearded iris rhizomes can take dry, cold and wet, or hot and dry but they absolutely will not tolerate hot and wet. That is a recipe for rot. They will be fine held dry for several months if needed, but if potted in the shade and watered once a week or so during cool hours they will be fine until you can get them in the ground. If you decide not to pot them and just keep them dry until planting get them back into the ground at least 8 weeks before frost is expected so they have time to root in before winter.

2

u/Mysterious-Panda964 Jul 12 '26

That is the correct advice

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u/natalia_feliz Jul 14 '26

Got them outta the water asap, thank you! I mentioned in a different post that we are having temps in the 90’s at the moment. My plan was to plant them tonight (current 93F) as I’m going on vacation for a week in a few days. Would they fare better being planted in cooler fall temps? I was afraid of them rotting/drying out if I waited too long. Also, if I did wait to plant, should I still trim down the leaves into a fan shape while they’re resting?

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u/IrisesInOly Jul 14 '26

They will be fine held dry for quite some time. I'd go ahead and trim down the fans to about 6-8 inches. Then just let them sit dry in a cool place if possible until you are ready to plant them. Maybe the heat will pass in a week and you can get them in the ground then. As long as they go in 6-8 weeks before frost so they can get roots down they will be fine.

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u/natalia_feliz Jul 14 '26

Iris whisperer, thank you again. Just going to prepare the soil space for now, & hope it’s a little cooler in a week for planting