Subdividing iris to encourage bloom

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Iris is a great plant for your tropical paradise. Unlike most other bulbs, it's foliage always looks good. It is, after all, just a type of grass. The only difference is that it is a very big grass, and it blooms. If you've had some in the ground for a while, it probably hasn't bloomed, and it won't, unless you do something about it.

The trick is to subdivide the clumps. If you take a look at your iris and they leaves are all smooshed together, that's a problem. Not only will the foliage look ratty, there will not be any flowers. Fortunately, the solution is easy. Get a nice sharp trowel and cut down in-between a clump of leaves. Dig all around it, you don't need to get any dirt, and pull up the clump. You should see a big of bulb there (actually it's a rhizome if you want to get technical) and some roots. If your clump of iris has been neglected for many seasons, you can get a lot of them.

I add a little Osmocote® and some water crystals to a small hole (it doesn't have to be deep), and firm in the moved plant. One will do, it will spread. In fact, iris do so well that they tend to get out of hand, so pay attention. If you have any doubt, get a shovel and dig them all up. Chances are you will have way more iris bulbs than places to plant. Set some aside for your friends!

And next season, you will have blooms. Guaranteed!

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