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Nov 23, 2015 11:37 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Leslie
Chapin, SC (Zone 8a)
Keeps Sheep Daylilies Hybridizer Garden Photography Cat Lover Hummingbirder
Birds Region: South Carolina Plant and/or Seed Trader Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Level 2 Avid Green Pages Reviewer
Hi,
I'm new to iris. A couple of weeks ago I dug the iris on my property planted by the previous owners. Just after digging I got sick and haven't been able to do anything with them since. It's getting cold now. I'm in zone 7b. Would it be better to plant the iris, I have :TB and Siberian, or to store them in my cool basement for the winter?

Thanks!
Leslie

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15
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Nov 23, 2015 11:54 AM CST
Name: John
Kansas City,MO (Zone 6a)
Composter Region: Missouri Plays in the sandbox Enjoys or suffers cold winters
Welcome. Gabriel is the expert here on potting plants over the winter. I'm trying it for the first time this year. The main question, I think, is when does the ground freeze in your area?

Blessings

P.S. Our house agrees!
When they call the roll in the Senate, the Senators do not know whether to answer 'Present' or 'Not guilty.' Theodore Roosevelt
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Nov 23, 2015 12:47 PM CST
Name: Neal Linville
Winchester, KY (Zone 6a)
Bulbs Charter ATP Member Cottage Gardener I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Irises Roses
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Level 2
Leslie, the Siberians prefer not to dry out, so those should definitely be planted soon, and should be kept moist till you can plant them.

Not so much hurry on the bearded ones, but I don't think storing them inside is a good idea. It seems most regions where TBs grow receive moisture during winter, although many of those areas have dry summers. Being as summer is when they are divided and sold, I believe they tolerate dry summers better than dry storage in winter. Perhaps you could pot them as John mentioned above, and store the pots outside in a protected area (next to the house, covered in straw or leaves).
"...and don't think the garden loses its ecstasy in winter. It's quiet, but the roots are down there riotous." Rumi
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Nov 23, 2015 10:14 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Leslie
Chapin, SC (Zone 8a)
Keeps Sheep Daylilies Hybridizer Garden Photography Cat Lover Hummingbirder
Birds Region: South Carolina Plant and/or Seed Trader Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Level 2 Avid Green Pages Reviewer
Thanks for your help. I dug the last of the Siberians today and have them soaking in water with Super Thrive. I'll plant those tomorrow.

We dedided to rent a tiller to break my hard clay beds. I'll put the TBs in those.
Leslie

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15
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Nov 24, 2015 3:47 AM CST
Name: Tom
Southern Wisconsin (Zone 5b)
Butterflies Vegetable Grower Keeper of Poultry Irises Keeps Horses Dog Lover
Daylilies Cat Lover Region: Wisconsin Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Leslie, Good to see you on the iris forum. The other Leslie @Lestv is from North Carolina. She would be a good source of info for you on this matter since she's just North of you. Smiling
Politicians are like diapers, they need to be changed often, and for the same reason.
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Nov 24, 2015 8:30 AM CST
Name: Leslie
Durham, NC (Zone 8a)
Garden Photography Cat Lover Irises Region: North Carolina Peonies Enjoys or suffers hot summers
Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Leslie - If you are putting them in clay beds, make sure you amend the soil or you may have problems with frost heave this winter. The clay gets so hard when it it dry and cold out. I have lots of clay too, so all my beds are raised beds, and I have garden mix soil delivered. Depending on the number of TB's you have to plant, it may be easier for you to pot them up in large pots for the winter. That would give you more time to get the beds ready, and then you can pop them from the pots to the beds in the spring.

Fortunately we are going to get warmer again in NC and SC, so you can make sure your newly planted Sibs get good watering before it gets really cold. Keeping their soil moist is key for getting them established. Also, unlike the TB's, it is a good idea to put an inch or two of mulch over the Sibs to keep them moist. I don't mulch my TB's because we usually have damp winters and all the moisture held in by the mulch can cause the TB rhizomes to rot.
"The chimera is a one time happenstance event where the plant has a senior moment and forgets what it is doing." - Paul Black
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Nov 24, 2015 1:31 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Leslie
Chapin, SC (Zone 8a)
Keeps Sheep Daylilies Hybridizer Garden Photography Cat Lover Hummingbirder
Birds Region: South Carolina Plant and/or Seed Trader Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Level 2 Avid Green Pages Reviewer
Thank you for your suggestions.

I've just come in from planting all the iris. What a relief to have them finished for now.

The place where the sibs went is a built up hill and it's sandy so I planted them where I want them to stay. For the TB I put them in a free spot in my raised daylily beds and will leave them there until next summer. They're close together but since they won't be there long I think they'll be OK. In the mean time, I'm researching tillers and plan to get one and till up the clay bed before putting the TB in it. That bed is next to a section of the yard that has lots of trees and lots of leaf fall. I'll be tilling in a bunch of leaves and their wonderful leaf mold to amend the bed.
Leslie

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15
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Nov 24, 2015 1:42 PM CST
(Zone 9b)
Region: California Garden Ideas: Level 1
I would recommend a rear tine tiller for hard clay. You will be beaten up and bounced around with a front tine tiller. I have nasty clay here and I use a front tine tiller. (When it breaks, I'm getting a rear tiller.) I amend my soil in the field with wood chips, fallen leaves and garden debris. Then I cover it with new wood chips.
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Nov 24, 2015 1:43 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Leslie
Chapin, SC (Zone 8a)
Keeps Sheep Daylilies Hybridizer Garden Photography Cat Lover Hummingbirder
Birds Region: South Carolina Plant and/or Seed Trader Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Level 2 Avid Green Pages Reviewer
That's what I'd decided too Rob. Rear tine and opposing directions seems to be the thing for clay.
Leslie

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15
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Nov 24, 2015 4:54 PM CST
Name: Gabriel/Gabe Rivera
Charlotte, NC (Zone 7b)
German imported, Michigan raised
Garden Photography Plant and/or Seed Trader Enjoys or suffers hot summers Roses Garden Procrastinator Region: North Carolina
Lilies Irises Hybridizer Hostas Dog Lover Daylilies
[quote="yadah_tyger"]Welcome. Gabriel is the expert here on potting plants over the winter.

I guess that makes me a pot head Green Grin!

Pot those tb's. Especially in SC. Just be careful of extreme colds like this past weekend. I just potted my last bunch today. And another batch last week, which have already taken new root. Playground sand, peat, topsoil, perelite and some natural soul from your yard as long as it ain't clay. I've had great drainage, it's also cheaper than buying the expensive potting soils, but I do have a gazillion pots.

I'm not a pro and still have to survive the winter, but I'm in the next zone across the border, so the weather should fair in your favor better than mines.

Good luck and welcome to the community Group hug
Gimme it and I'll grow it!
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Nov 26, 2015 3:46 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Leslie
Chapin, SC (Zone 8a)
Keeps Sheep Daylilies Hybridizer Garden Photography Cat Lover Hummingbirder
Birds Region: South Carolina Plant and/or Seed Trader Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Level 2 Avid Green Pages Reviewer
Thank you! Thumbs up
Leslie

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15
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Dec 2, 2015 8:28 AM CST
Name: Greg Hodgkinson
Hanover PA (Zone 6b)
Garden Photography Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Irises Region: Japan Region: Pennsylvania
Potting the bearded irises will be the best route. This way you can create new beds where and when you have time and the irises will not care. As Neal said, the Siberian's should be put back in the ground immediately. I typically over Winter 400+ pots every year without issue.
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