Happy Holidays from Schreiner’s Iris Gardens
While we here in the NW seem to have more than our fair share of rain throughout the winter, we realize that some parts of the US have not been receiving their usual amount of moisture this fall and winter. Although bearded Iris are resilient, and typically drought tolerant once established, newly planted Iris do require some regular moisture in order to get established. A recent posting on the American Iris Society blog page, World of Irises, covers the topic of drought and Iris very nicely. Rather than reinvent the wheel, we direct our readers to that post. If you don’t already, you might consider following that blog.
As the temperatures drop below freezing, you can mound a winter protection around your Irises. We recommend straw, evergreen branches or leaves. The key with winter protection is to remove it when the weather begins to warm again in the spring. Winter protection can help prevent heaving out the rhizomes caused by repeated freezing and thawing that happens throughout the winter.
We wish all of you a happy, healthy holiday season and prosperous and healthy new year!
May you find peace and fulfillment in gardening! The Schreiner Family
P.S. Gift Certificates! Although you can’t send Iris to your loved ones and favorite gardeners in December, you can send them a gift certificate for Schreiner’s Iris Gardens now and all throughout the year! To be sure your Gift Certificates arrive on time, order early.
Schreiner’s Display Gardens February 2011
For the Love of Iris 
December 19, 2020 at 8:11 pm
Wondering if you can help me…I live in southern New Jersey and we just had our first snowstorm/20-30F weather this past week after an unusually warm Autumn. I was out feeding the birds and noticed, to my surprise, that one of my irises had been sending up shoots to try to bloom – for Christmas! It’s a very healthy plant in a rather protected spot, and had bloomed well for me this past May. It’s several years established in my garden. The flower stalks looked droopy from the cold/freezing, but otherwise the iris looked healthy. I’m wondering though if I should leave it be, or cut down the flower stalks to prevent the iris from putting so much energy into trying to bloom at the beginning of winter? I basically worry about it being too “exhausted” to bloom properly come the Spring if I do nothing. Thanks for any help!
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December 21, 2020 at 11:23 am
Hello. Thank you for the comment. Yes, we recommend removing the bloom stalk at this point. Trim foliage down to about 6 inches, as well.
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November 13, 2020 at 11:13 am
I live in the North Carolina mountains. Should I put a light cover of mulch on the tubers or straw when freezing weather starts to occur
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November 17, 2020 at 10:11 am
Hello. Thank you for the question. Winter protection is helpful in areas with extreme cold. Clear away the winter protection in the spring when you see new foliage emerge. Winter protection, however, should not trap too much moisture around the rhizomes, however, as this can lead to rot.
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October 30, 2017 at 2:22 pm
We live in CAlifornia and it is now the fall. We are planning on moving to Idaho by Christmas and we want to save our Irises be cause they had been my grand mothers. How can we take them up and save them for next years planting?
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October 31, 2017 at 10:25 am
We would recommend that you pot them up. When removing them from their current garden bed, trim the leaves back to about 5 or 6 inches. Pot the Iris in wide shallow pots rather than deep narrow pots. Use a nutritious potting soil, but not one that contains added Nitrogen. Once in your new home, keep them outdoors, in their pots, in a sunny location through the winter. Protect them from winter freeze with a thick layer of sawdust, and surround the pots with an insulation of burlap or more sawdust. In the spring, remove all winter protection, but keep them in the pots. Give a dressing of low-Nitrogen fertilizer about when the tulips are blooming in your new neighborhood. Water when the top inch of soil is dry. Transplant them next July into their new garden home, again with an application of low-Nitrogen fertilizer. Best of luck to you! Let us know if we can be of further assistance.
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February 13, 2016 at 10:43 pm
when to fertilize bearded iris, and with what?
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April 8, 2016 at 1:10 pm
We recommend a low-nitrogen fertilizer, for example 6-10-10. Bone meal and super-phosphate also work well with Iris. These can likely be found in your local garden center. If not, we carry a one-pound bag of specially formulated Iris food. Here’s the link, if you are interested: http://www.schreinersgardens.com/page_7333_6978/6-10-10-controlled-release-iris-food As for when to fertilize, we recommend about one month before bloom (or when tulips are blooming in your area), and again about one month after all blooms have finished.
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September 22, 2014 at 7:19 pm
Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites I stumble upon every day.
It will always be helpful to read through articles from other authors and practice a little something
from their websites.
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January 14, 2014 at 4:47 pm
Excellent post. I used to be checking constantly this blog and I am impressed!
Very useful information specially the final section 🙂 I care for such information a
lot. I was seeking this particular information for a long time.
Thank you and best of luck.
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December 22, 2012 at 4:22 pm
What about using wood chips as a mulch for winter protection? I have plenty of wood chips
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July 30, 2013 at 2:22 pm
Hello William, Apologies for the late reply. But as we think ahead to the coming winter, it can’t hurt to begin planning our winter protection. Yes, wood chips can be a good winter cover for Iris. Be sure to clear them away when spring arrives, though. However, by wood chips we are not referring to bark dust. We don’t recommend bark dust. Evergreen branches and straw also make good winter protection. Even mounding up extra soil over the tops of the rhizomes can offer protection. Any type of winter protection needs to be cleared away after the hard frosts have passed.
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December 11, 2012 at 4:28 am
Happy Holidays to all Iris gardeners. Want to give a big THANK YOU to everyone at Schreiner’s for their hard work and magnificent Iris. Last growing season was just spectacular. I was the envy of the whole neighborhood. My Iris were gigantic. The leaves were like swords. Not sure if it is my soil, the bone meal or the osmocote. The hardest part for growing Iris is keeping the beds free of weeds. Again, my Thanks for everyone at Schreiner’s.
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December 10, 2012 at 1:05 pm
Happy Holidays To everyone At Schreiner`s, I can hardly wait til spring to see my Iris bloom. I love your Iris!!!
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December 10, 2012 at 2:03 pm
And Happy Holidays to you too, Carol! Enjoy the restful dormant state of your garden. Just think, in Australia they might be enjoying reblooming Iris right now! All the best for a wonderful holiday season.
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