leann: I can send you 3-4 large rhizomes that each probably have a few plant starts in them (probably half a foot long about with 3-4 plants coming out of them already & a few more nodes visible) in exchange for the items below. Please LMK if this is cool. 5 or so Naked Lily bulbs 5 or so Star of Bethlehem bulbs Great Mullein seeds Black Hollyhock AKA The "Nigra" seeds White Hollyhock seeds Tiger Lily Bulblets (This is high on my want list, so if I have too much listed, i'd love to definitely keep this one) Royal Red Butterfly Bush seeds Spiderwort seeds Shasty Dasiy seeds Rudbeckia Dasiy seeds Marguerite Daisy seeds English Ivy Cuts (1-2?) White Hollyhock seeds Thanks - Steve

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'd be careful about soaking, in my experience there is a period when a rhizome is very susceptible to rot just before it starts active growth. It may be a good idea to do a brief soak (10 minutes) in a mild bleach solution (1 part household liquid bleach to 10 parts water), which will kill some of the disease bacteria. Then pot them in 4" pots on sterile potting mix. Water sparingly until the first growth is evident. They can be planted out as soon as the roots have reached the bottom of the pot. This method is how I treat any 'challenged' rhizomes - for example starting a leafless mother from a potential bloom out. When I got Iris from Australia I did this also to help with the seasonal crossover. Chad

Sue, Thank you again for answering my questions---I know I ask a lot! And good luck with your Bulb Battle. wmoores, I may end up doing that as a backup plan... the roots on the rhizomes are very dry and some of them are very small right now. They pretty much arrived that way though and I am assuming and hoping that's normal. Do you pot them with fertilizer? Also in your opinion, is it too late to put them in the ground with the average first frost date on October 16th or thereabouts? Sue mentioned a possible problem with the irises heaving out of the soil because of frosts and thaws and suggested adding sand on top of the roots and rhizomes. I'm just trying to figure out what to put in my soil since I am trying to avoid nitrogen, which has never been a consideration of mine before. I can't use my trusty Bumper Crop so I asked some folks in the compost forum if Leafgro would be suitable and I am hoping it is. Thank you again for the helpful responses! :)