How to Rebloom Iris Plants
Iris plants grow from underground rhizomes that sprout in the early summer. They have tall, thin, green stalks on which colorful flower blossoms develop. Most iris plants bloom once and then the foliage dies back until the following year. However, if you have a reblooming iris variety, it will develop more flowers in the late summer. Caring for the iris in between the blooming periods is critical to new flower development. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Hand pruners
- All-purpose, granular fertilizer
- Garden fork
- Shovel
- Knife (optional)
Instructions
-
-
1
Look at the iris plant and locate any tall, thin, center stalks with wilted flowers or that have already dropped their flowers. Prune off these stalks near the base of the plant, using hand pruners. Do not cut off any of the actual leaves unless they are visibly brown and dead.
-
2
Water the soil under the iris plant at least once per week, even during the mid- to late summer when the plant appears to stop blooming. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy, to a 3-inch-depth, which you can test with your finger.
-
-
3
Spread an all-purpose, granular fertilizer around the soil under the iris plants as soon as they stop blooming in the early summer. Use the amount of fertilizer specified on the package and work it into the top 1/4 inch of soil with a garden fork.
-
4
Dig up the iris once every three to four years using a shovel. Separate the root system into separate plants using your fingers by pulling at the locations where it naturally falls apart. Plant each division in a sunny, well-drained location. This is necessary because all iris plants reduce or stop blooming when they get too large.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If the iris rhizomes do not come apart easily when dividing them, use a clean, sharp knife to cut them apart.
References
- Photo Credit Comstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
