I am a beginner, but I've just stuffed them into the ground, and they're all alive. You could compromise - soak for an hour or two, then plant. I just looked at my instructions I received with my iris purchase from Gurney's, it says to plant right away, and they were dried out, and it says if you can't plant them right away, to open the bag, etc, but doesn't say you have to soak them if you make them wait. I'd try soaking for an hour and plant, keeping it watered even though it's cold. My instructions say to keep stuff watered in the fall and winter, as more bulbs are lost to under watering in the fall and winter than to freezing.
Good luck!!!!
Edited to add:
I have bought and traded for iris from people from Craigslist, as well as this site, and if they are dried out, I just water them in really super well after planting, and I have been planting right away in most cases. I did have to heel stuff in for a while once, in a muddy, wet area, and that stuff did the best!!! Seemed to really like that. Iris are pretty hardy, I've been bungling around with them and they still love me.

This post was edited by Queen-Gardener on Fri, Oct 24, 14 at 10:40

a pic is worth a thousand words ...

the safest is to just plant them.. and let mother nature do her winter thing with them.. there is plenty of time.. for her to rehydrate them.. before the growing season ...

i might also.. set them in a half inch of water.. overnight.. and let it soak up whatever it wants... but i would not float them in a lot of water ...

mostly because my gut tells me [and mind you.. it lies to me sometimes.. lol ...] .. that a plant that does not like its rhiz. being fully buried ... probably isnt going to appreciate a lot of water ... being submerged ... if it can rot in soil ... its is probably going to rot in water ....

i am curious to know what the iris wizards have to say ... if i am wrong... so be it ...

ken

What did you decide to do? As long as the rhizome is firm they will be fine. The fans will die off anyway, go ahead plant them and then water them in.. Wait and watch.. I am watching 5 that I planted at my dads, They were out of the ground for over a year..

Probably a lot depends on where the OP is located and what kind of winter they can expect. During a dry, cold, open winter here I have had rhizomes and the soil they were in just blow away. So I always bury mine an inch into the soil whether they are dry or not. If I lived in Michigan or Tennessee or Ohio I'm sure I would do it differently. Mostly I think it depends also on the soil type and how much you are willing to monitor the situation all winter. With a warm winter and more clay in the soil I would do it differently also. Does the ground freeze there?

Throughout the growing season I often leave divisions of iris rhizomes in water..then it rains..a week later I dump the water out...and it starts all over, until I get to replant them. They haven't rotted or died. They've lain on top of the ground all winter too, under the snow, and re grow the following spring. I don't think they are that easy to kill! Lol

Pink, if it gives you peace of mind, rehydrate them, otherwise plant and don't worry. They'll come back in the spring. :-)

Jo

Great! I'm glad to hear things are going well. that's why I like iris so much, they are pretty much indestructible.

and you will have even better results this spring! I'll check mine at dads tomorrow afternoon.

I have soaked rhizomes in water (with a little Miracle Gro added) overnight and planted. They actually plumped up a bit overnight. They do not rot. I think it actually hastened growth. Reading all these reponses, I would say it really does not matter what method you choose: soaking or directly into the ground.. You might want to experiment some time taking a few dried out rhizomes, dividing them and soaking half and planting half directly, and observe the differences in growth. If anyone does this, please post here. The worst problem is planting a rhizome in the winter when it has no roots to anchor itself. That in itself is a problem and at least in Zone 6, recommend no later than September for planting outdoors Some will not make it thru the winter. Another option is planting in a pot in the garage over the winter..I believe there is a higher survival rate, provided they are taken out of the garage at just the right time.. But that is another topic for another day.

Thank you. I'll try an over night soak.