It's been a couple of months since my irises have bloomed and I usually cut back the leaves in the fall. I am wanting to do it to some in the next week or two. I also have some that are mixed with daylilies and I want those irises cut back too. If you guys have any suggestions or answers, I would love to hear them.
Thanks,
-Ian

I cut both of mine back when the leaves start to yellow. When they are green I feel that they are in prime photosynthesis mode adding strength to the bulbs/tubers down below.
To my way of thinking the onset of yellow color means that they are shutting down themselves and are done for the season.

I agree.

There's my Southold buddy!!

Hi Big Bill! It's on my job list for today but "today" can be anytime in the next month or so.

Thanks BigBill and pirl I was just outside like 30 minutes ago I noticed that a couple of my iris plant foliage were about to run yellow. Otherwise most of them are healthy looking and still green. I took a good look at my irises and noticed that there were little babies popping up from the rhizomes and I will leave the irises alone until fall.

Your welcome

I cut mine back whenever I get to it and they do just fine no matter when that is. I say just cut them whenever it is convenient for you.

I think dividing in August is recommended as a period of somewhat summer dormancy.

trimming spent/diseased iris foliage at any time is beneficial from the standpoint of clean garden culture which pre-empts disease development and insect infestation.
HOWEVER ..........
Cutting the green healthy growth, just because traditional garden wisdom says so, is in my IMHO, an unproductive task. Please remember, that bearded iris, no matter where you live, never truly go in a bona fide "dormancy" in the summer.
They are in a modified growth phase, in which metabolites synthesized in the leaves are being directed down to the rhizome for storage until needed the following spring for growth and bloom. Also, anchor roots are being put down at this time. These anchor roots are gathering, primarily phosphorus and potassium, (as well as moisture). This P and K loading by the anchor roots is best combined with the sugars and other metabolites produced in the leaves for optimum starch, carbohydrate and sugar composition in the rhizome.
If you aren't transplanting or shipping iris, save yourself some work and hold off on the foliage cutting until fall, when the plants truly enter into winter dormancy

TBMan said:trimming spent/diseased iris foliage at any time is beneficial from the standpoint of clean garden culture which pre-empts disease development and insect infestation.
HOWEVER ..........
Cutting the green healthy growth, just because traditional garden wisdom says so, is in my IMHO, an unproductive task. Please remember, that bearded iris, no matter where you live, never truly go in a bona fide "dormancy" in the summer.
They are in a modified growth phase, in which metabolites synthesized in the leaves are being directed down to the rhizome for storage until needed the following spring for growth and bloom. Also, anchor roots are being put down at this time. These anchor roots are gathering, primarily phosphorus and potassium, (as well as moisture). This P and K loading by the anchor roots is best combined with the sugars and other metabolites produced in the leaves for optimum starch and sugar composition in the rhizome.
If you aren't transplanting or shipping iris, save yourself some work and hold off on the foliage cutting until fall, when the plants truly enter into winter dormancy

Tim, with you on that. I only cut the ones that were being infested by grasshoppers and sun damaged. Grasshoppers have been really bad these last few years. I am an all natural guy when it comes to my plants. (No pesticides and such) I even pull the weeds by hand. and by the time it's about mid July, that's when the heat tends to come in and play with Mother Nature's Magic and starts destroying wildlife. (for example wildfires) I have daylilies right now that have burnt foliage tips.

sallyg said:I think dividing in August is recommended as a period of somewhat summer dormancy.

I divided some white irises last August that were in my pampas grass bed to make room for some stellas they did just fine then and are fine now. Those irises didn't make many blooms when they were in those big clumps (1 maybe 2). My guess is that the pampas grass roots were absorbing the water supply, making it harder for the irises to produce enough energy to make blooms.

Hi, I usually hang out on the daylily forum. Kinda scared to come here cuz I don't need another addiction! But I got a box of three Iris plants in the mail today, and it occurs to me that I don't know what to do with them, since it's raining outside. How do you hold them till they can be planted? Any help would be appreciated!

Someplace cool, and shady...maybe on the porch...just lay them out , and they will wait a LONG time, for you to get ready

True, you sure don't have to worry about them waiting afew days to plant.

Mary, just three? I'd don a raincoat and my rubber gardening boots, and with my lady shovel, I'd be done in 5 minutes. They don't need deep holes. Plant the rhizomes parallel with the soil surface, with the top third all along the rhizome exposed. Just be sure all the hanging roots are well buried..

Sit down and make your garden labels in advance before going out, and take them with you when you go out to plant.

I am supposed to take delivery this afternoon on a box of 4 or 5. Since it's raining right now, and we have a lower chance of rain in the mornings, I'll open the box when it arrives, soak the rhizomes in a pot of water for an hour or two to rehydrate them, then put hem back in the box with wads of soaked paper towels overnight. I'll make my labels tonight, and in the morning I'll plant them - with raincoat and boots if necessary!

Thank you all so much! Rita, you are so sweet.

It's been years since I bought Iris in the mail, so I wasn't sure. Yes, just three...all are Cry Me A River. Never seen one with those spoons before and I fell in love!

I ordered from IRIS4U GARDEN, and they are beautifully packaged and healthy! This makes three varieties in my garden, but the addiction I was referring to was hybridizing them! I get enough of that with daylilies!

Actually, I need to correct myself - I also have some of those variegated, colored leaves Iris. With the blue (grey) and white, and green and yellow stripes. They are beautiful!

Mary ~ to the Iris Forum

Watch out you don't go looking at all the pictures of irises!

I say, watching this forum, and all of its threads can really open your eyes to all the beautiful irises you never, ever know existed! ("Iris virus" is contagious!)

Thank you, Evelyn. It looks like there are more Iris varieties than daylilies! And, whoever thought up TBFINDER.COM is a genius!

DaisyDo, thank you for all your great advice, but I don't like to dig in the clay/rocks that comprises my garden soil when it's wet.

So, I've heard of "lady bits", and "lady parts", but never knew there were "lady shovels"!