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Transplanting advice needed

8 years ago

My mother in law died over the summer and we slowly dealt with everything and now it looks like her place will be sold fairly soon - possibly closing before March 15. There are a bunch of irises that have been left to their own devices for many years and we want to bring them with us. I know this isn't the ideal time to be transplanting and dividing, but if the sale goes through we don't really have an option (the place she lived is being demolished so they won't be wanting to keep the smaller plants)...any advice for doing it at the wrong time of year? I live in central Texas zone 8, I believe.

Many thanks for your help!

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Comments (4)

User
8 years ago
Beardeds, right? If you're able to get a root ball they won't know they've been moved (slight exaggeration). If you can't transport rootballs just dig as much root as you can, toss them in a box for transport, and replant as soon as possible. Do not keep them in plastic -- rot danger. Do not expect bloom for a year (or 2, depending upon vigor, climate, soil, ect.) Cut leaves in half if needed to keep them from tipping over, water deeply, and ignore for a month. Then deep irrigation again and ignore.
fabmargy thanked User
redwolfdoc_z5
8 years ago
Condolences. I hope all goes well for you. Cherished plants can be a wonderful way to remember a loved one.
fabmargy thanked redwolfdoc_z5
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fabmargy
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank you both so much! We're grappling with not a lot of sun in our place, so looking for a few sunny spots for them. We're also digging out spirea and a few mystery bulbs...the land is so beautiful and it's heart-wrenchingly hard to say goodbye. There are 400 year old oak trees on it - the good thing is, the trees are heavily protected legally so the people buying it have to build around them! When I get these to bloom I'll come back and see if they can be identified. :-)
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redwolfdoc_z5
8 years ago
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