Sounds to me like you're good to go.

The only thing that I would add is to make sure you come to the Knoxville Plant Swap and/or The Middle Tennessee Plant Swap this Spring!

Lots of different types of iris, but I'm going to assume you have Iris germanica (Bearded Iris). The full sun and well-draining soil are very good. I hope you planted them correctly. This type of iris likes sun to reach the top of its rhizomes. Rot (mostly from being planted too deeply) is the number one problem with bearded iris. The second most common problem (not as common) are iris borers. Watch out for these later on down the road. Good gardening hygiene (removing and disposing of, not composting, dead foliage) can go a long way towards reducing borer problems.

I second BOV's encouragement to come to at least one of the plant swaps. The East Tennessee Plant Swap is held somewhere around Knoxville and should be a great experience. This year, we may have it at a really nice park on the east side of Knoxville. We'll post announcements in this forum when more info is available. We'll also have an announcement and more info on the East Tennessee Plant Swap website later on.

Here is a link that might be useful: www.EastTnPlantSwap.com

Thanks so much for the quick (and positive!) responses! Brandon7, the box I ordered was mixed Dutch Iris bulbs in shades of blue, yellow,and white. I planted them 3-4 inches down, with the little shoots covered by about an inch or earth (are those the rhizomes?); I considered letting the shoots peek above ground but I was worried that they might be too exposed. And no composting of dead foliage? Wow, good to know. I would never have guessed.

Thanks also for the link to the swap!! I doubt that I'll have anything to bring besides a considerable amount of ignorance and even more curiosity, but it sounds like tremendous fun and a great opportunity to learn.


----------- Trilby

Ooops, I forgot to link our website: http://www.midtnplantswap.com/. Peruse the entire site and please let me know what you think.

Don't worry about having a lot to bring to the MTPS. We always have more than we can get rid of anyway. Just bring something for lunch and have a good time; that's all we ask. The MTPS will be May 16th. The Spring MTPS is ALWAYS the Saturday before the Memorial Day Weekend and the Fall MTPS is usually the third Saturday in October although that may be subject to change because of the Vol football schedule. :-)

We're only 200 miles from K'town and at least a quarter of our attendees are from East TN. Hit both the Knoxville Swap and the MTPS and you'll rack up enough to keep you busy planting for at least a week!

I've made the mistake of planting Iris bulbs too deep myself. They dang near sit on top of the ground! 3"-4" is plenty deep. The tops of ours are normally about a half inch under the soil when I plant new ones but they will rise to where the top of the bulb is poking it's head above ground. Like you said, even if they are too deep it didn't cost you much to learn and it sure isn't that hard to raise them up an inch or two.

Jeff

Dutch Irises are probably Iris x hollandica. If that is what they are, they have bulbs instead of rhizomes and are normally planted somewhere around 4" deep.

If you come to the Knoxville swap, I'm sure I can find something to trade for a "considerable amount of ignorance and even more curiosity." LOL It's like BOV said, there are always PLENTY of plants to go around.

You are both so kind, and so encouraging! The websites are great, and the pictures are just wonderful. My sister lives about 90 minutes north of Chapel Hill, I'll plan on paying her a visit in mid-May. :-) And I may not have to show up at either swap with empty hands after all -- we should still have some jars of quince jam and apple butter in the Spring (not home-grown, alas, but definitely home-canned).


-------------- Trilby

Hi all,

Just wanted to let everyone know that ALL my irises came up this spring, and yesterday I had my first bloom - a deep, deep blue! :-)

------------- Trilby

Good for you Trilby! I'm hoping you are still planning to come to the mtps because I would love to try some quince jam. I have never had it. My aunt makes apple and pear butters that are just yummy. I have yet to taste quince jam or jelly though. Rhonda

Tim & Cindy will be bringing some of their homemade cherry jelly/jam (whatever it is) and possibly some of their honey if the bees cooperate. He should be bringing some Bluebird houses too.

Oh yes, Tim and Cindy sound like my kind of people!

Oh man....home made cherry jelly???? That sounds scrumptious!