Wow. I think it would just be a lot easier if we referred to the back end as the "FAN END", ya know, where the Iris fans are . Geeeesh. This is now getting complicated. I am going to continue to assume
that the HEEL END is the FAN END, where the leaves are. It makes things so much easier for everyone.

Or even simpler "Stick your butts out!" Easy to remember.

I don't think we get to decide new terms that have been around for quite a while. I know I could come up with a few...... and not just for irises. smiles

Ok, now let's move on to Watering. How often do you water a newly planted Iris rhizomes (either in the ground, or in a pot) ???

In the pot every day when it's hot, or they dry out it seems. I don't usually pot very many. In the ground new ones everyday for a week or until I see some evidence that they have taken. i.e. they give me the finger. Or if I give them a gentle tug they are firmly connected to the ground.

Right now most of my rhizomes are potted ......... and some of the rhizomes look like they have "shriveled" and have big dents (or holes) in them. So I don't know what that's all about.
But we have had a few days of intense heat and sunshine, Today included, and the next 3-days
are expected to be the same. So I'm trying to keep all the pots watered.

It might help to move them where they only get morning sun for a while.

I was just gonna say -- give them some shade...............

tveguy3 said:In the pot every day when it's hot, or they dry out it seems. I don't usually pot very many. In the ground new ones everyday for a week or until I see some evidence that they have taken. i.e. they give me the finger. Or if I give them a gentle tug they are firmly connected to the ground.

Hahaha. I am so glad you mentioned the finger! I have been thinking while planting this weekend how much I love when the new plantings start giving me the finger!

I inspected the one garden today - found "Oriental Glory" buried under the soil. Totally buried and un-exposed. I don't know how that happened, but it is only hanging on by One Root!
And there are no leaves/fans attached to the rhizome, but there is a small green growth
showing at the heel. So, what do I do ? Leave it and see what happens ?

if it has green growth starting I would leave it in place, but also brush away some of the soil so the rhizome is not totally buried.

I just dug up these Iris' from my raised bed. I am going to plant them on my side hill. I now know how to do it since I just read this thread. I know to plant the butts (heels) outward and to not cover the complete rhizome. In several of my clumps that I pulled apart, there are 5, 6, or even 7 fans (rhizomes) together. Is it okay to plant them that way rather than separating them into single rhizomes. Here is a picture of the kind that I dug up. I do not know the name of them as they were originally given to me.

I'm not an expert on the beardless types of irises, so I can't help, hopefully someone who grows lots of them can jump in here and help you.

It is iris pseudacorus which is pretty but considered invasive in water ways. Not welcome in some states. You could plant small clumps. Beardless iris like it and Siberians, Spurias, and Japanese are typically planted in divisions rather than individual rhizomes......

, and a little deeper, as well. http://irises.org/About_Irises...

Paul and Tom for your help.

I found out the hard way how this plant reproduces. I dug up some plants that I planted behind my garage a few years ago. The next year there were new ones growing and I thought maybe I missed part of the plants that I dug the previous year. But I pulled out a small one and it was attached to a round flat seed. That is when I discovered that each one of those seed pods had loads of seeds. Since then I make sure I get the pods off before they dry up and open. So far I have been able to control them. Here are pictures of the ones I dug up. I have a lot of work ahead of me.

I think I am suppose to cut back the foliage to around 2" when I plant them. Am I correct?

Some of those showed up at the Maine swap this year. I think some folks put them around koi ponds and water features.

Foliage is cut back when shipping to prevent water loss, not necessary in your own garden.

They look like yellow pond iris. Very aggressive in my pond. Crowded out the Papyrus.

Iris psuedacorus. Google it........