Learn how to dig and split iris bulbs with Gord Nickel. Here Gord and Ted will demonstrate how to dig and split an iris, showcasing the award winning Dusky Challenger iris.

Video Transcription

Male: Until you got this wonderful Iris’s here, can you show us how to split them and dig them up? I understand you have to do that every few years. Male 2: Every few years or you do not get the bloom. Male: Right. Male 2: The right zone skip too close together and they just will not get the bloom. Other reasons that they do not bloom is you plant them too dip. Male: Oh, okay. Male 2: You plant them on the surface and we will show you later and people over fertilize sometimes. They got lots of green and no flower. Male: They are too happy to flower I guess. Male 2: So we will dig one of these. Male: And lots of magnificent one there. Male 2: Yes, it is an award winning iris. You can see the branching, multiple buds, very deep stick texture, and it stands the way in perfect little stands where heavy range or stand weight. Male: What is that called anyway? Male 2: It is called Dusky Challenger. Male: Okay. Male 2: And that is the best iris of the year about four years ago. Male: Really? Is that what makes a great iris the branching and the heaviness of the flower? Male 2: Yes, and look at the stalks, just like trees, it never goes down. Male: Wow, it is nice. Male 2: So, what we will do is we will just dig up one of the rhizome. Now, usually what we do is, do this after it bloomed, and they go into a dormant created and you take a fork and dig up the whole clump, if you are going to divide it. But what I will do is just take and dig up one to show you how you can still want for friend or. Male: Still want for me? Male 2: You bet and so, here is the plant, you can see. There is the rhizome, this fleshy part here, and here are the roots. So, what we do is taking cut the roots off about that low and then just take that to the top because you cut a lot of root off so that, that to six inches or so and now you have it here and then I will go over here and plant. Male: Now, in garden centers and such, it is in the fall that you are going to see these, is there a reason why or is it just because of the way they harvest them? Is that why? Male 2: Yes, but the earlier you can plant them, the more like you have bring the forth line here. Male: Okay. Male 2: And so, here you dig a hole and then build them out in the center and if this is your path. You face it away from you and have the rhizome sitting up. Use these roots as anchor roots because here is where the new roots come out the back and these grows the growing point takes it that way. So, these will not feed the iris now. But once we plant it like that, fill it in. Then I covered a bit because then when you water it that will come out, and you will hide that top showing that you do not want it too high and you do not want it too low. And so, there it is. Male: Perfect. Male 2: Planted. Male: Perfect.