Can someone tell me why an iris would bloom beautifully one year and then not at all the next?
Why do some iris I purchase bloom the very next season, and some have been in the ground for 3 years without blooming?

Immortality is one that surprised me blooming the first season but has not bloomed in the last two seasons.

Edith Wolford has grown and increased without blooming for 3 years now.

Clarence, Batik and a " no name". Bloom every year without fail......

Teresa ~ I don't have the answer. It may depend on a variety of circumstances. It could be the size of the individual rhizome, the variable weather, where they are planted... maybe someone else may have a more educated response.

Every iris is an individual and has their own habits. Immortality is one that seems to like to be moved, and when left untouched, it doesn't bloom as much. (at least for me) Edith Wolford is a picky princess, and she blooms when she wants to. . . . and that's not very often for me. Some take a year or so to settle in, and then bloom well, others bloom every other year in my zone. These are usually slower to produce increases. Of course here the growing season isn't as long as some people have. But mostly baring a lot of rot, Hale storms, or iris borers, the majority of them do quite well, and bloom most years.

Tom ~ Which irises bloom every year for you?

Teresa - Several sources say that newly planted iris may take until their second or third year to bloom. In my garden I get about 60 to 70% of them blooming in their first year. Most will then bloom by their second year. Those that take awhile for their first bloom in my garden tend to bloom every year after that. I do have a small handful that had never bloomed. I threatened to yank them out of the garden last year, so of course they all bloomed last spring!

Tom is right about individual habits, there are picky ones out there that only bloom every two years or so.

evelyninthegarden said:Tom ~ Which irises bloom every year for you?

Some TB's that are prolific bloomers for me would be:
Juke Box Hero
Dorothy Devenport
Kiss Me Please
Gitano
Fancy Dress
Role Reversal
Day On The Bay
Picture Book
Gambling Man
One Step Beyond
Ginger Ice
Class Ring
Super Hero
Magical
Ready For My Closeup
Avenue of Dreams
High Desert
Reckless Abandon
Ring Tone
Pretty Kitty
Parisian Dawn
Mixed Signals
Montmartre
Summer Shadows
Cold Fushion
Wired
Sharp Edge
Material Girl
Drinks At Sunset
Fantasy In Pink
Poem Of Ecstasy
Competitive Edge
Strawberry Freeze
Decadence
Tying Yellow Ribbons
Going Dutch
My Lady's Manor
Mixed Signals
Miles Ahead
Broad Band
Mariposa Skies
Ink Patterns
Paul Black
Catwalk
Don't Stop Believing
Florentine Silk
Soul Mate
New Face
Down To The Wire
Style Traveler

OK, that's enough, these are just off the top of my head, I'm sure there are a lot more. Of course what does well here isn't necessarily what will do well in some other culture.

Tom ~ Thank you. I suppose I will just have to wait a few years until they get established. I have several that you mentioned but only a few bloomed well right away.

Don't Stop Believing was an exceptional iris for its first year bloom. The others will probably have to get more established before really assessing their durability, as some bloomed short or not at all.

My guess is 60% of my Irises bloom every year. I think it's in part; all about location, location, location. But some are just strong growers and can handle bad locations.
I also have a lot better results when I fertalize a few times a year, but I am not very good at being faithful with that chore.

Thanks for the acorns you guys!

"Can someone tell me why an iris would bloom beautifully one year and then not at all the next?
Why do some iris I purchase bloom the very next season, and some have been in the ground for 3 years without blooming?"

lot's of good info has already been given...but don't overlook the obvious! For "good' , consistent bloom, irises need plenty of sun exposure, and correct soil fertility and ph. Irises that "tend" to need lots of division, in order to bloom (Immortality is a prime example) are "telling you" that they may have used up the "food" they need! As was stated, iris cultivars are all "individuals"....some make way more growth, in way less time...than others, and "more", or "faster" take more nutrients. And NOT just the usual "N, P, K" that is in most fertilizers ! There are lots of "micro nutrients" involved, as well. That's why "new dirt" (or compost)makes such a difference , when they are moved / reset.
I read , once, that an iris rhizome has to "grow" a certain number of leaves, before it will make a bloom stalk (Being old...I don't remember WHERE I read it , and I'm not sure HOW many leaves ....I think it was 11), so they need to make pretty, rapid growth to do that.

Thanks Arlyn - also for the reminder to spread more compost!

Theresa, my sister lives outside of Bayfield&complained how summer came early for you folks this past Spring. I know the weather plays a huge part in blooming, not always a "personal" garden problem! I had a great iris show 2019..2 hrs east, they were hit with incredible rains&the iris suffered. Sadly, it's the hardiest thing to ever control.
Wishing you great blooms this upcoming seaon (I planted 40+ new ones for her, hoping some put on a show for her

And some iris never bloom. Edith Wolford bloomed one year and never again. In this case, it has nothing to do with location. Plenty of sun and all the other iris there are happy as clams. After ten years, I gave up, dug her up, and tossed her.

..... another factor on certain varieties lack of bloom reliability COULD .......
( posing a theory based on my experience only)
.......be their sensitivity to certain climactic factors. In winters here in NE Oregon that have had a wild variability in temp swings, especially in the fall, ive had cultivars that historically bloomed well, ghost on me as far as bloom goes the following year. The embryonic bloom points deep within certain varieties rhizomes could be more sensitive to sharp or extreme environment changes. Same goes for excessive heat, followed by cold, drought followed excess moisure, etc. Proto cellular leaf structures seem to be hardier within the rhizomes, but bloom points may be expendable.
The varieties region of origin seem to run the gamut for this phenomenon, but the originating regions for cultivars most apt to ghost on me as far as bloom goes seem to be most often the Aussie, California, or varieties originating west of the Cascades in the PNW

urania1 said:And some iris never bloom. Edith Wolford bloomed one year and never again. In this case, it has nothing to do with location. Plenty of sun and all the other iris there are happy as clams. After ten years, I gave up, dug her up, and tossed her.

And Edith won the Dykes in 93. I wonder if she had been grown all over the country prior to winning the award?

Hate to hear the bad report on Edith Wolford. I first saw her in Oklahoma City by a mailbox and had to stop. Left a note in the mailbox asking the name. I thought it was the prettiest Iris I had ever seen. Maybe I will dig her up and try another location if she doesn't bloom this year. I fertilized exactly as instructed last year, so we will see if it helps.

Teresa ~ Edith Wolford has been slow for me too. I did also move her to a sunnier spot, so...we'll see!

Good luck! :I hope she blooms for you, Be sure to take pictures to share with us!

I'm going to be broken hearted if Edith Wolford never blooms for me, since it was the first iris that started my quest into the iris world. Is there a similar color and form that I could investigate?

Keith Keppel has introduced several irises over the past decade or so that are generally similar in color to Edith Wolford. They are all, from what I've seen, also superior plants to Edith Wolford. That's not surprising, Keith wouldn't have introduced them if they weren't.

In my garden, Silk Road has been the best of the bunch, it's absolutely bullet proof. I'm always a little sad to see it bloom, though. It's one of the last to open so when I see those flowers I know the iris season is almost over.

That should be very helpful information as Edith Wolford is a poor grower in this area.