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I got a trunk-full of free irises today...

16 years ago

It's Feb. 18th...not exactly bearded iris dividing time, but they were free for the digging on craigslist so now I have a heaping wheelbarrow full of bearded iris rihzomes now. Should I get them back in the ground, or should I dry them out first and then plant them after date of last frost? Thanks!

-Katy

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Comments (7)

sylviatexas1
16 years ago
Yay!

I'd plant them right now, before they even realize they've been moved.

The sooner their roots can dig in, the sooner they'll be ready to flower.
otnorot
16 years ago
Very{{gwi:1012633}} good advice sylviatexas exactly what I would do.
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woo hoo!!! I got free plants!
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I first met Kathy for a plant swap in November 2006, at a gas station on 281. This is the copy of the original post. What great memories. It was there that we discussed having a plant swap in San Antonio. She did all the organizing, posting, and got the rules from I think the Ft worth Swappers. Without her it would have never happened. I mailed TxKitty $20 so she could purchase the permit, using her employee discount, Kathy even went to her work to pick up the permit. I only had to do one thing, and that was make the signs, so everyone would know which pavillion. It was a great swap, it was the first time everyone met. Thanks Kathy.
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Yipee I got a bargain today....
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That IS a bargain! It's hard to beat F-R-E-E. I got two recently. One was Saturday when I went online to Penneys web site to order a set of dishes. It was a service for 12 that was regularly $199 -- and in the sale bill they were just $99. When I went online to order them, they were just $79! :-) Another was a bumper we had replaced on my truck recently. DH got estimates in the spring, and one body shop was nearly the same cost for a new one as to repair the hole in the old one (about $450). A few months later, DH calls the one and asks if the estimate is still good. Body shop says yes, so husband made appointment. We took the truck in. Body shop calls husband to tell him the truck is nearly done---and there was a mistake with the esimate. Bumper cost $1200 but they will "eat" part of their mistake and it will only cost us $900. When the dust settled, body shop stood by their estimate and we did, in fact, get a $1200 bumper for $450. We didn't know their estimate was wrong...just knew that for about the same price as fixing the old one, we could have a brand new one.
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I have chard and dino kale, full grown..for free!
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Comments (11)
Ok, for starters - does anyone realize how much momfryhover was offering? OMG..... The end result was over 20+ lbs of greens!!! They are all washed, sorted and bagged for delivery to peeps that need and want them. What is it they say about no good deed goes unpunished? Yeh...I've got one BIG achin' back but!....It's SO WORTH IT! Momfryhover ...thank you SO very much! You have a lovely backyard. My grand-daughter fell in love with it immediately. She's been raised helping me garden and the benefits of that were SO obvious today. But I have to confess that there is probably one Kale plant left that didn't get harvested as it might have otherwise. Lexi said she just couldn't take away the shade that the garden toad needed. LOL! How cool is that the a 14 yr old city kid would even know that???? The end result is I have over 20 lbs of Kale & Chard that I'll be sharing a LOT. I had one family in mind to begin with but there was so much I think I'm going to be able to spread the wealth to 5 families with the Chard. And ...ahem...I'm keeping just a skillet or two for myself. Again Nancy, thank you so very much. For much more than just the veggies...this was a great "opp" day with my oldest g-daughter.
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Got lilacs via Ebay seller today, covered in leaf spots. What is it?
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Comments (12)
"Does your conscience bother you at all when you rely on the local nursery for free advice, but then spend your money on uninspected ebay plants and what's available for the cheapest price at the big box stores?" Lol, I couldn't agree more! This looks like a root cutting (I am growing one off of my common lilac) and I wouldn't throw it out just yet. It may not die, it may in fact do very well. Taking chances is a major part in gardening, and it is often interesting to do so. I took a chance last year when I bought an eastern redbud with a dead leader and very ratty foliage. It bloomed this spring and is now beginning to leaf out. I took a chance when I planted a gardenia jasminoides last fall. Most of the leaves were killed by winter burn, but it has since re-leafed and is actively growing. I took a chance when I created a forsythia standard. It also bloomed this year and hasn't even suckered. Last week I dug up an 8ft tall prunus subhirtella volunteer in my neighbor's yard. Still not sure how that's going to turn out, but it's doing good so far. By now, you have probably gotten my point. Why throw out and abandon your problems, when you may be able to fix them easily, or they may even fix themselves?
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thecitychicken
Original Author
16 years ago
I'd better get to work, then! I still have a ton of them sitting in the empty kiddie pool, covered with a light layer of dirt. Yesterday I planted the siberian iris the "free irises" lady gave me. And some of the bearded iris. I guess I should create a place in the yard for a drift of them. More digging, yay! And I'm not being sarcastic; I like the exercise! :P

---Katy
tom8olvr
16 years ago
Have I got a yard for you! Next time your in Massachusetts I'll give you a shovel and you can 'exercise'!
bullthistle
16 years ago
Do not forget to trim the roots and do not foget to put a handful of bonemeal in with eash plant.

Here is a link that might be useful: Propagating Perennials.
kittyl
16 years ago
I would NOT suggest trimming any roots this time of year!

This time of year in north wet states, the irises are just coming out of dormancy with a little green growth starting. I definitely would not shake off the dirt as it will destroy roots, and they need those roots for their spring growth and establish a viable plant.
If youÂre like my daughter in Oregon, she just moved to a new house, and in this winter weather, had to dig her irises. I helped. We just dug big clumps, dirt and all, put in bags, and took to the new house. SheÂs placed them on the ground and built up more soil around the clumps. She says they seem to have taken the transplant well, and are showing some new green growth.
redbazel
16 years ago
Somebody got a boatload of free iris and daylilys from me last year. I had a bunch in some really huge planters on either side of my front window, but they all got crowded, so I emptied them out, soil intact, and put roses in the tubs. I left my tub-shaped haul of daylilys and iris on my front lawn for planting the next day. Well, the next day they were all gone!

Red

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