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ladyrose65

Planted too deep. Can I push them Up?

ladyrose65
13 years ago

I planted my Iris's too deep, can I push them up. Should I leave them until summer. What can I do, as not to loose them?

Comments (8)

  • Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana
    13 years ago

    Do you know what kind of irises they are? Do they grow from a bulb (Like Dutch or reticulata and others) or a rhizome, like bearded (and some others)? Please see link below.

    When were they planted?

    Sue

    Here is a link that might be useful: Types of Iris

  • ladyrose65
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Medium Bearded Iris. I got from HD planted in Nov.

  • vetivert8
    13 years ago

    Are their leaf fans showing and looking healthy? If they are, then straight below them will be the new roots and they will have settled in, thought they might not flower this coming season.

    As the weather warms and the leaves get more growth on them you could brush back the soil covering the rhizome so it gets the summer sun.

    If there is no obvious sign of new growth (and you can see there is in local gardens) - fossick with a cautious finger or small hand tool to see if you have a growing tip below the surface.

    Generally they 'make their way to the top' as the new growth becomes older so you may not need to lift the plants at all.

  • ladyrose65
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thank You Vet and Chemocurl. I'm going to try to move them up later. It does have good drainage. I don't expect any blooms. Def. planted too deep. The other iris's have 2 1/2 of growth.

  • goren
    13 years ago

    The same problem can be had with peony when planted too deep...and they can be lifted slightly to improve their likelyhood of blooming.
    With a sharp spade, dig outwards from the plant on all sides, then pick a side and put the spade underneath and gently lift...then back fill when you've decided the height is fixed.
    It doesn't bother the roots and usually works fine.

  • Krista
    7 years ago

    I have a question about this also, I am lifting mine today because I transplanted them last year from some I found growing wild in the woods. Anyways they never flowered this year and I know they are to deep in clay soil. They did multiple nicely and foliage looked good. My question is if I lift them now, it's still quite warm here in zone 6a, will they flower next year??

  • posierosie_zone7a
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Try to get as much of the root ball as possible. This means digging several inches away from the plant as deep as possible all around and then gently leveraging the plant out.

    If you want to plant higher, add some dirt to the hole (brushing the dirt caked on top of the rhizomes is an option) and then test your new height. When the correct height is found, press in any extra dirt and water the plant well.

    If you keep enough of the root system undisturbed, the plant might not even register it has been moved.

    What type of iris do you have? There are many different types all with slightly different requirements.