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This is page 174 of the book "The Magic of Irises" by Barbara Perry Lawton:
"The block of time between the period of spring growth and late summer period of root growth is optimum for dividing and transplanting bearded irises. During this time, you can work at a leisurely pace on digging the irises, trimming the rhizomes and replanting them, because it will be good for the rhizomes to dry out for a few days. It is best to spread the rhizomes out on newspapers in a dry, shady spot for several days so they can dry out. Any soft or cut places will develop a corky surface as they dry - this is called callusing.
"As an illustration of the tough extremes to which you can put large bearded iris rhizomes, I have left bearded rhizome clumps out of the ground and drying in the sun for a week or more and they seemed better off for it. This is an excellent way to get rid of fungal diseases, especially any root rots that may have crept into the bed. Smaller rhizomes will dry and callus more quickly than large ones. Shorten the drying period for smaller rhizomes.
"When digging the iris clumps, make sure you keep them separated correctly according to species or cultivar. Some find it easier to keep the clumpsof each variety of bearded iris on separate newspapers together with their labels from the garden bed. Separate the rhizomes and examine them carefully. You may have to cut or break the rhizomes apart, Use a sharp knife to remove soft and diseased parts. Clean the knife after each cut to avoid spreading the disease. An easy way to do that is to wipe the blade, then put it into household chlorine solution for a few seconds.
"To make it easier to handle and replant them, cut the foliage fans back to a length of 6-8 inches from the rhizome...
(to be continued - sorry, I am not a fast typist!)
This message was edited Jul 6, 2009 9:42 AM
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