hello,

i leave my glads and jap iris in the ground in central va.
they always come back for me.

Modern gladiolus hybrids (G x hortulanus) are only hardy to zone 7, so the success of overwintering in the ground is a bit of a toss-up. If in very well draining soil and with a protective mulch, you should be OK. If you do lift and store, wait until after the first couple of light frosts and not before the foliage has yellowed and dried.

Japanese iris are not bulbs at all but fleshy rooted perennials (not all irises are bulbs - there are bulbous forms, tuberous forms and fleshy rooted forms) and are quite hardy - to zone 4. They can be left in place without concern.

jeanr, the term "jap" is pejorative and offensive to many people. It is far preferable to spell out the name fully or abbreviate with just the letter 'J' after once referring to the full name.

Thank you both, jeanr and gardengal48. I am in zone 7, so not lifting them should be ok. Thanks!!!!!

Hi, Planted 400 gladi bulbs last year; display was magnificent. did not lift the bulbs; this year not many flowers but lots of new shoots! Can anyone tell me if these shoots will mature into flowers and if so, will they flower next year?
Thanks Debbie

I am moving and want to take my Japanese Iris and Iris. I cant get them back in the dirt, till maybe aug or sept. Will they make it in a cardboard box till then?

Not the best method of storage :-) Watering - which will be absolutely necessary through summer - will just rot the cardboard rapidly.

Get some large plastic nursery pots. Many nurseries/garden centers will give them away or sell them inexpensively. Fill with a potting soil (not garden soil) and plant up the ones you want to take with you. Do this as close to the actual move date as possible.

If plastic nursery pots difficult to locate, use plastic grocery bags. Make sure there are a few drainage holes in the bottom and lift the plants with a soil rootball intact and set into the bags. I've moved many plants this way and it's a pretty efficient and cheap short term solution. Just don't forget to water properly while they are out of theground.