You don't have to do anything about the new growth. It's typical behavior for irises to put out new growth throughout the growing season. It'll die back (or not) when it feels the need.

It is not necessary to cover bearded irises and, in fact, may lead to bacterial soft rot infections which can kill your irises. Just leave them be.

Laurie

Thank you for your prompt reply. I have recently come into new plants from trading and this is their first winter, I just like to be sure. Although it looks like they have hundreds of these iris on their property and they don't do anything like divide them or weed them and they seem to bloom. I wonder what it would look like blooming if they kept up on them? Probably fantastic!!

Thanks again,

Rich

I will cover my bearded Iris AFTER the grown freezes solid with straw. Not because they need protection from the cold but because they get pushed completely out of the soil during our common freeze/thaw/freeze cycles in winter. The tops of the rhizome should be exposed but I can't imagine the entire rhizome/roots are happy being completely exposed to drying winter winds.

I never cover my irises after they are established. For fall I cut back the blades to 6" and clear away all the dead foilage. Newly planted I do cover with a light blanket of tree leaves to help protect against the freeze/thaw heave.

BTW, anyone know where this jewel originated?
"MTB Â miniature tall bearded, 16 Â 27.5 tall, the flower is no more than 6" combined width + height, blooms with the TBÂs."
Miniature Tall, come on now couldn't they do better than that?

robert_m wrote BTW, anyone know where this jewel originated?
"MTB Â miniature tall bearded, 16 Â 27.5 tall, the flower is no more than 6" combined width + height, blooms with the TBÂs."
Miniature Tall, come on now couldn't they do better than that?

This is the measurements required to be an MTB. You could write to AIS and suggest that they should change it.

" Newly planted I do cover with a light blanket of tree leaves to help protect against the freeze/thaw heave.

Good way to have a lot of rot.

Mike G

I checked the AIS Judges' Training Handbook for the last three additions, and the description of an MTB has not changed.

Perhaps they undergrow or overgrow with your culture.

You can report your concern to the Median Society or AIS for further details as I am not an authority on growing MTBs. I have a few. Most are quite dainty, but BLUE CHIP STOCK seems to fit the handbook description though some say it is too large.

Laurie, the current handbook dated 2007 is the Seventh Edition. There is a sticker on my cover but no indication on the title page.

Already, at the last Board meeting some handbook changes have been made. It will be interesting to read the Board Minutes on the AIS Web Site in two months and to receive inserts regarding the changes.

Walter Moores

I don't usually gat a lot of rot. I do remove the leaves in the Spring.
This quote is from http://www.schreinersgardens.com/
"Soil may be mounded over the Iris, or you may use straw, pine needles or leaves. A few minutes of work in the late fall is excellent insurance against unwanted loss. It's imperative that whatever material you have used be removed just as soon as the new growth begins appearing in the early spring."
But I do have a problem with established plants.
See http:/geocities.com/saqunebi/pix/irisbug.jpg ugly huh?
Can you help with this problem