If you have a garage or other dry area out of direct sun, that'd be the best place to lay out your irises until you return from your trip. Do NOT put them in a bag, leave them lying in direct sun, or pile them in a heap somewhere. You want them to get good air circulation and remain dry until you can get them back in the ground.

Laurie

Thank you Laurie,

I just put them in my berry picking basket and 2 in an old colander. What is the proportions for the bleach soak? Is it 1 part bleach to 9 parts water? After they soak (how long) then I let them dry out (how long). Plant again. Irises are so hard for me to plant. I always plant them too deep. Can I plant them so that the rz is at least covered by a little soil?

suebot

Yes one part bleach to 9 parts water. Soak for about 20 minutes. I dry mine for at least a day or 2 in a sunny airy window, not direct sun outside. Sometimes I turn over a couple times to get the bottoms dried out. Plant so the rhizome is visible in the soil, like sitting semi submerged in the dirt, with the roots buried.
Laetitia

If you feel like you have to cover the rzs, use a free draining material like sand and cover them no deeper than 1/2". If you plant them any deeper than that, they may not bloom. I generally plant mine so that the tops of the rzs are level with or slightly below the soil surface.

Do not leave those rzs piled in a berry basket while you're gone. Find a protected area where you can spread them out in a single layer with no piling. Or you can hang them out of the weather. I have an old section of chicken wire stapled between two low rafters in my garage overhang. After I soak rzs, I hang them upside down in the chicken wire to dry. It works great.

Laurie

Here is one way to remind yourself how deep to plant irises: picture a duck swimming. Think of the iris rizome as the duck: a small part is under the water but about 2/3 is above the water. Iris rizomes really love to "cook" - exposure to sunlight is necessary for their health. The feeder roots are the ones that need to be down in the soil. Hope this helps you! Good luck!

Hmm its a good thing i had a question about one of the iris's i moved last year producing a stalk for every leaf. I don't usually parouse the iris forums. I think i planted too deap, but then it's still blooming like a monster. I suppose its a rule of thumb unlke a peony that just wont bloom period if it dosent have part of the Rzom above ground. I suppose next year i should replant both of my main Iris beds. last year i took out one clump that had gotten out of control and wouldnt bloom and seperated it into 5 plants along the Fence and each is going to bloom this year, with the one that has 4 bloom stalks on it and leaves only 10 inches high. I will still follow ya'lls planting advice and plant the next seperations much shallower. Think i will leave these alone for now since they want to bloom, regardless of my lack of knowledge about thier preferrences.