flowerbrackob Molly Price, and others, have recommended division as soon as bloom is finished. This advice seems to have been lost. I have always waited a couple of months in the past and had little to none bloom the following year. I have friends in the area with better soil and they've had the same results. Excepting some very vigorous cultivars. After division a soaking is required. I mean thorough. Overnight if needed. Then no water until the top 6 inches of soil dries. Bearded rhizomes cannot be compared to other plants. I don't know why Melle's turned to mush after 10 days. Something was going on. I do know that hardiness is not an issue for tall beardeds in Sunset zone 14. No fresh manure, good drainage, full sun, deep irrigation - these are mandatory for good health.

I wouldn't dig them now. They might survive the winter out of the ground, but they might not... Abbigail, if you pot them now, putting them into an attached, but unheated garage that won't freeze for a while is perfect. You can also bring them into the house, but they will get leggy (floppy) and you have to watch for aphids on them. Putting potted plants outside for the winter unprotected is worse than putting them into the ground now. In pots, they are exposed to drying winds and freeze-thaw cycles. When I do have things in pots to leave out, I huddle the pots together against a north-facing wall and put straw bales or mulch around them to protect them some. But I wouldn't do that with the irises that don't have any roots growing yet. Do the garage thing, if you can. Diana

I use to store pellets in a storage barn over the summer with no problems. Not even mice. Had some cherry pits one year and the mice chewed all kinds of holes in those bags. what a mess.

After a wet April-June, July came in rainy then took 3 weeks off, then 1 day of rain, then another vacation. Oh well, that's summer!! My iris have great leaves, in fact they have grown so large they are shading the smaller annuals I have in front of them. Haven't cut them back (tho I really would like to in order for the other plants to get some sun) but am contemplating moving them this fall. They just got separated last year, but the rhizomes have come back like gangbusters (tho that's all they've done) and are crowding my garden. I bought a 6-set of shades of blue last year, planted them in a 15'x7' garden 3 in each row, and they are really spreading out, tho only 3 bloomed and two were not on the list. I guess if they bloom next year I will have an idea what colors they may be (only 1 of 3 that bloomed were blue-Don't buy Spring Hill!!) Have enjoyed talking with iris nuts like me. Keep blooming, folks!