Where to Store Amaryllis Bulbs

This Amaryllis is going dormant as its leaves turn yellow. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

“I live in an apartment. Where can I put an amaryllis plant to go dormant. If I put the bulb in my crisper do I have to put the bulb in a bag.” — Donna

Where to Store Amaryllis Bulbs

Hi Donna, do NOT put your Amaryllis bulb in your refrigerator crisper, this is a tropical plant and the cold will kill it.

Keep the Amaryllis bulb watered in a pot in a window until all of the green leaves turn yellow and die off.

If you don’t have a window, keep it as close to sunlight as you can so the leaves can collect sun and store it in the bulb. Let it go dormant on its own time.

These Amaryllis bulbs are ready for a nap for a few weeks. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

You can place the Amaryllis bulb in a brown bag after all of the greenery has died back.

Leave it in a closet or in a cabinet at room temperature.

I leave mine in a pot and don’t water it for 6-8 weeks, then repot it when I start to see new growth.

This Amaryllis is starting to regrow, see the bud on the left? (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggi

If the Amaryllis bulb has collected enough sunlight through its leaves, you will enjoy another blooming cycle.

Here’s one of my re-blooming Amaryllis, love to watch them re-grow! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins

Amaryllis bulbs are easy to care for so you can get them to re-bloom and well worth the effort, I have some Amaryllis bulbs that are more than 10 years old.

For more gardening, beekeeping, cooking and easy home decor tips, subscribe to Garden Notes.

Charlotte

Picking Amaryllis Bulbs

An amaryllis bud produces the lovely dramatic flowers. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

“Charlotte I’ve had the worst luck picking Amaryllis bulbs that bloom. What’s the secret?” — Valerie

Picking Amaryllis Bulbs

Hi Valerie, the secret is picking bulbs large enough that they have enough energy stored to grow a bud for blooms.

Whenever I buy Amaryllis bulbs, I look for bulbs I can see. You don’t need included containers, you can pot your own at home in a container an inch wider than the bulb with potting soil. Amaryllis are relatively easy to care for if you know what growing conditions they need.

I also open those Amaryllis bulb gift boxes to make sure the bulb is showing a particular kind of growth.

You want to see the tip of a bud showing at the top of the bulb. In this bulb, the tip is on the left and leaves are starting to grow on the right. The key is to see the flower bud. You don’t need to have leaves at the blooming stage; those will appear after the bud grows.

Don’t worry about the white color of the tip. They will quickly turn green once exposed to light.

This Amaryllis bulb is 2 inches wide so it will bloom once.

This Amaryllis bulb will not bloom because leaves have popped up first. The leaves will collect sun for the next blooming cycle. The bulb will grow bigger from the energy stored and has a good chance of blooming then.

Once the first bud blooms, leaves will appear as solar collectors. If the bulb is big enough, a second bud may appear. The bulb has to be at least 3 inches wide to have enough energy stored for a second consecutive blooming.

So look for the buds and you should be getting an Amaryllis bulb that will bloom.

Charlotte

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Is My Dogwood Dead?

this redbud tree died a couple of years ago. I left it in place and sure enough, new growth is starting. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

“Charlotte, you seem like a sympathetic and knowledgeable master gardener. I don’t dare share this with my ***master gardener group…..I’ve planted flowering dogwoods for three years straight and none of them took. I love those trees. Any tips on how to help them survive?”

(Name withheld at request of submitter)

Is My Dogwood Dead?

We see a lot of growth taking place and assume that whatever looks dead on top is dead all of the way through. We also tend to jump on immediately removing what appears dead.

Here’s the good news.

Depending on your growing conditions, your flowering dogwoods may just be taking their time to get their roots established. Plants will focus first on root development above all else and for good reason. They need a good foundation before they grow.

Keep the roots watered and mulched without touching the tree trunk and wait.

I have a dogwood I named Theodore who remained 3-feet tall for 20+ years. Then I noticed he was 4 feet tall, then six feet, and now he’s a standard-looking understory tree but he sure took his time!

Look at The Base

It’s easy to focus on the visible top of the trees but step back and look at the base. Plants in general take the first years to root, then focus on “the shoot” or the stem growth; then they “fruit” or provide flowers, fruits and seeds.

I have several tree tops that are dead. I didn’t remove them and kept them watered, watching around the tree base. If I start to see new growth, I will let the new greenery grow, tie it to the old dead trunk and prune that new growth to encourage the shooting in the direction I want.

It makes more sense to me to leave the established root structure than to pull all of that out and try to plant something new.

If you still have the dogwood trees in the ground, mark their location with a pole and monitor for any growth. If there is one thing my garden repeatedly teaches me, it is patience!

Charlotte

Peonies Not Blooming

Herbaceous pink peonies and a hybrid Itoh yellow peony from my garden. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

“Charlotte you have the most beautiful peonies, how do you get them to bloom? I have several plants that have never bloomed. What am I doing wrong? “ — Sarah

Peonies Not Blooming

Hi Sarah, how deep do you have the roots planted? Peony roots need to be only about 2 inches below soil level. If they are planted any deeper they don’t bloom.

Peonies also prefer sun to shade so make sure they are getting 6-8 hours of sun a day.

Peonies also appreciate more acidic soil and some compost every year. I tend to add it after they bloom so they have all season to absorb the nutrients.

Even established peonies need regular moisture. If the soil is getting too dry, make sure they are regularly watered. I add mulch to help them stay hydrated.

Hope these tips help you get peony blooms next year!

Charlotte

Where to Store Amaryllis

This Amaryllis is going dormant as its leaves turn yellow. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

“I live in an apartment. Where can I put an amaryllis plant to go dormant. If I put it in my crisper do I have to put the bulb in a bag.” — Donna

Where to Store Amaryllis

Hi Donna, do NOT put your Amaryllis bulb in your refrigerator crisper, this is a tropical plant and the cold will kill it.

Keep the Amaryllis bulb watered in a pot in a window until all of the green leaves turn yellow and die off. If you don’t have a window, keep it as close to sunlight as you can so the leaves can collect sun and store it in the bulb. Let it go dormant on its own time.

These Amaryllis bulbs are ready for a nap for a few weeks. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

You can place the Amaryllis bulb in a brown bag after all of the greenery has died back.

Leave it in a closet or in a cabinet at room temperature.

Let it rest for 6-8 weeks, then repot it. I sometimes just leave it in the original pot and start watering it when I want it to regrow.

This Amaryllis is starting to regrow, see the bud on the left? (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggi

If the Amaryllis bulb has collected enough sunlight through its leaves, you will enjoy another blooming cycle.

Here’s one of my re-blooming Amaryllis, love to watch them re-grow! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins

Amaryllis bulbs are easy to care for so you can get them to re-bloom and well worth the effort, I have some Amaryllis bulbs that are more than 10 years old.

For more gardening, beekeeping, cooking and easy home decor tips, subscribe to Garden Notes.

Charlotte

Grass in Iris Beds

I use vinca ground cover to hold in soil and keep iris rhizomes hydrated. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

“My iris beds have become covered in grass. How can I get that removed? Do I need to use landscape fabric?” — Cynthia

Grass in Iris Beds

Hi Cynthia,

I would grab a cup of coffee, or tea, put on my gardening gloves and head out after a good rain. The best way to keep your iris beds clean of grass is to remove the grass by hand. Make sure you get the roots, not just the green tops.

Once cleared, add a shallow layer of mulch. You don’t want to cover the iris rhizomes but you want to maintain a level of moisture around the roots. The mulch will help keep the moisture in and level out the temperature so the plants are less stressed.

In terms of landscaping fabric, I am not a fan. Soil is a living, breathing ecosystem so you want to keep soil hydrated and healthy. That’s way your plants stay healthy.

I was once given a roll of landscape fabric and placed it on a couple of paths covered in mulch. I have since pulled it all up and tossed it. I would rather keep something growing on the paths cut short with my weed eater than smother what may try to grow and destroy the soil.

After removing the grass, consider planting a ground cover to keep your iris hydrated. Lamb’s Ears and Vinca are both excellent ground covers that can keep soil hydrated.

Charlotte

Moldy Seed Starting

Zinnia seeds getting a good start in a chicken rotisserie container. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

“….I have a question. I’m starting seeds in a barbecue container and it’s now growing mold. Will the seeds be ok?” — Sally

Moldy Seed Starting

Hi Sally,

I love repurposing those chicken - and other - containers to grow seeds. Your question inspired me to start my miniature zinnia seeds. We had so much moisture this spring it may be late in the season before I can get zinnia seeds planted outside. Zinnias are a favorite of butterflies and other pollinators.

I’m using these two repurposed containers to grow zinnia seeds. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

First, did you already have, or did you add, holes in the bottom of the container? That will help keep the water drained so the soil doesn’t become saturated and encourage fungal growth.

Secondly, when you see condensation on the lid, do you remove it? The clear lid should stay on just long enough to get the seeds started. Then you want to take the lid off so the seeds can start getting acclimated to your growing conditions.

Miniature zinnia seeds started 5 days after getting planted. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

When you are first planting, also use a spray bottle to moisten the soil, you don’t want to get it too wet.

Whenever planting seeds, use a spray bottle to control moisture. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I keep the spray bottle nearby and spritz the seeds daily as they are growing.

I also have them in indirect sun until their first true leaves grow. Then I will move them into direct sunlight for a couple of hours every day. Once they are growing, they will get thinned out, then moved outside for a few hours every day until it’s time to plant them in the garden.

Take the clear lid off when you see condensation on it. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I would remove your lid and let the soil dry out. A quick spray of water daily should rehydrate the soil and keep the seedlings happy but discourage any further fungus from growing.

Let me know how this works for you!

Charlotte

Dead Mums Good?

Three of my “dead” mums on one of my flower beds. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

“…what’s the big deal about mums? I do like them. It’s trouble to have to water them through winter. Dead mums look bad. What do they do in garden?” — Andy

Dead Mums Good?

Hi Andy, oh, my, where to start. They are practical, they are easy to grow, they are pretty AND they are long-lasting. And there’s a good reason why you should appreciate them when the top is dead.

First, there’s no getting around that dead chrysanthemums (also called mums) in a garden are not pretty. Unless they are covered in snow, and then they are quite sweet-looking, little mounds of white scattered throughout my hillside. The value of the dead chrysanthemums is that they are protecting new growth developing underneath, at the heart of the plant.

If you have some in your garden, go out in daylight and take a peek. These three mums in the photo were planted last fall and photographed January 9, 2020. I have been ensuring their roots were hydrated by periodically watering them, which also gave me an excuse to walk through my garden and see how things were doing.

If we had rain, or snow, I didn’t bother because nature was taking care of watering duties. In general, plants need an inch of rain a week.

Natural Bug Deterrent

My goal is to have mums scattered throughout my garden. Mums are a natural bug deterrent. Most of the “safe” garden insecticides you find currently on the market are made with pyrethrins, which is essentially essence of mums.

By having mums scattered around, you are using them for bug deterrence as well as enjoying some of the longest lasting fall flowers, when most of the color comes from deciduous tree leaves changing color.

And as an added benefit, mums are also one of the longest lasting cut flowers you can find in any garden. That’s why you will find florists using mums in flower bouquets.

Checking Mums for Growth

So what are you looking for when you peek through the dead mums? As you approach, it may seem like there is no sign of life. Be patient, and gentle. Look into the mum at the bottom of the center.

This is the first mum, bottom right in the photo. See the green growth in the center?

A mum planted last fall is showing new growth dead center. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

What still amazes me is how a little patch of green in winter can turn into a full blooming plant by the next summer.

If you were to dig up and separate this little patch of green, you will find several plants growing together.

Here is the second mum, mid level on the left of my hill. See anything?

New growth is farther along in this mum planted last fall. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

This one also has new growth a little farther along than the first one photographed. If I had to guess, this will have a good half dozen plants started if they all make it until spring.

And no, I won’t cut off the dead mums from last year. Those dead stems are protecting the new growth from cold and wind, which can kill them.

One more mum to check, the top left one.

Top left mum is also showing new growth at the base. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

This mum developed new growth later than the middle one, maybe about the same time as the bottom one. I thought I had planted all three about the same time but maybe not.

All three are showing good new growth so far so I will keep an eye on them as winter unfolds, making sure their roots are hydrated and growth protected with shredded leaves and wood mulch. The mulch will help keep the soil from heaving and thawing, which stresses out young plant roots.

Come spring, I will start the vigil of pinching growth when it reaches about 4 inches. I just tuck the extra growth in the ground next to the mother plant and let that piece root on its own.

By fall, this is what I should have again along my garden paths, mums in bloom.

Some of the yellow mums in bloom last fall in my garden. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Mums are definitely among my top 10 must have garden plants for any garden. Once established, they take very little effort to grow and they are helpful as well as pretty and long-lasting. My kind of flower!

Charlotte

Poinsettias Fading

One of my poinsettias with fading leaves. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

“…saw you taking several sale poinsettias home. Mine are fading. What did I do wrong?” — Mary

Poinsettias Fading

Hi Mary,

Yes, it can be tricky buying plants on sale but that rarely stops me. If you know what you are buying, and have a little patience, you can continue to enjoy them, especially poinsettias.

Don’t know if you heard me but I insisted as I was checking out that the poinsettias be covered in plastic before I took them outside. Poinsettias are not only from a tropical zone but are raised in greenhouses. They are not acclimated to our colder mid-Missouri temperatures. At all.

When taking them outside, they need to be protected if exposed to 60F and below. I also left them in the store and pulled the car as close to them as I could, wrapping them in a blanket to move them from the store to the warm car.

If you didn’t do that, being exposed to cold can shock them and make them easily drop leaves. Keep them in a warm spot off the cold floor and they should adjust after a few days. Some of the colored bracts may be normally turning yellow and dropping so give them time to adjust.

Secondly, when choosing your poinsettia, look for the tiny yellow flowers in the center. The bracts that provide the color are actually leaves. If you find some that still have little yellow flowers in the center, that poinsettia is going to last longer than one with the center flowers faded and gone.

These are the small yellow poinsettia flowers in the center. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Nothing wrong with ones that are faded like this one, it just means the plant is farther along in its development and may loose its leaves earlier than one that is still in bloom.

This Pure Glow poinsettia no longer has tiny yellow flowers in the center. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Where you place your poinsettia once home is important. You want them in indirect light where they are warm so they can get used to their new conditions. Even close proximity to a window can be too cold for them so I place mine towards the center of a room.

Also don’t place them on the floor unless you know the spot is warm. If you can place them on a raised area like something with castors or even a container with legs, that should keep them away from cold. I moved one poinsettia from a coffee table to the center of another room on the floor and watched them drop leaves over two days. Moved back to their original spot, the leaves stopped falling and they are now growing new ones. Very sensitive to changes in temperature!

I have severals baskets of on sale poinsettias now adjusting to their new spots. I remove the dropped leaves to compost and check that their soil is moist; not too wet and not dry. Often times poinsettias get too much water and that causes them to drop leaves. Check the soil moisture before watering by placing a finger in the soil on the plant edge.

Once spring arrives and all danger of frost is over, mine will get slowly settled outside in shade and trimmed back so they will grow bushy again.

I remember them in Mexico, their native habitat where they can grow the size of small Missouri dogwood trees. Yes, I have some thought of trying to grow at least one into a larger plant.

Pink and white poinsettias keeping me company in my kitchen. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, the red bracts and pink and white poinsettia colors are fitting in quite nicely!

Charlotte

Can I Still Plant Spring Bulbs

Uh-oh, ran out of warm weather before I planted my spring bulbs this year. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

“Yikes, it’s snowing and I don’t have all of my spring bulbs in the ground. When is it too late to plant them?” — Ralph

Can I Still Plant Spring Bulbs

Hi Ralph, welcome to the club. I also ran out of time to get some of my spring bulbs in the ground before snow and cold weather moved into mid-Missouri. The good news is that there still is time to get them in the ground.

Tulips, daffodils and most other spring bulbs need a good 12 weeks planted in the ground to trigger growth. Considering that most of our soil starts to thaw out early March, that gives us all until the end of November and beginning of December to get these vintage flower bulbs in the ground.

The key is when does your soil freeze for winter. I’m in USDA Hardiness zone 5b/6a so our soil tends to stay workable until December. Even if you wait that late, you can still get spring bulbs in the ground so that they bloom next spring but the earlier you get them in, the better for the bulbs.

And yes, I have been seen out in my garden in full winter garb with my handy pick ax in blowing snow getting a few last spring bulbs in the ground. Especially when I find them on sale at the end of the fall season. A few bulbs may have dried up by the time they are discounted but most packages still have viable bulbs.

Remember to add a little bone meal at the bottom of the holes, the bone meal will help feed the bulbs when they are ready to grow.

And ah, bundle up!

Charlotte

Christmas Cactus Blooming Out of Season

The cactus on the left is a Thanksgiving cactus, the one on the right a Christmas cactus.

Christmas Cactus Blooming Out of Season

“The Christmas cactus from my grandmother is getting ready to bloom, what did I do wrong? – Martha

Hi Martha, I also have a “Christmas” cactus blooming right now, I’m embracing the blooms and calling it my Winter cactus. These hardy tropical plants need a little help to bloom on cue here in Missouri. Back in their native Brazil ,they have weather triggers to get them to bloom in December, the beginning of the South American summer.

Your cactus may be the older, true Christmas cactus if it came from your grandmother. Most cactuses sold on the market today are actually Thanksgiving cacti, which explains why they tend to bloom end of November.

To determine what kind of cactus you have, look at the green fronds. The original Christmas cactuses (Schlumbergera bridgesii) have smooth, round edges while Thanksgiving cacti (Schlumbergera truncata) have pointy, jagged ones.

Mine started to bloom because I had it outside on my back porch last fall. Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti are called "short day plants" meaning in order to produce flower buds, they require fewer daylight hours and/or cool night temperatures. Our fall shorter days and cooler nights signal the plants to produce buds.

To get your Christmas cactus to bloom when you want the blooms, locate it indoors in a cool, bright location where daytime temperatures are 65-70° F and evening temperatures are 55-65° F. If plants are exposed to cooler night temperatures of 55° F, plants will bloom in approximately 5-6 weeks, sometimes regardless of the day length.

My Thanksgiving cactus in bloom, see the spiky ends to the green fronds?

I frankly don’t mind when they bloom out of season, I love having them in bloom any time they decide the time is right. Maybe you can also leave Santa Claus a note?

Aren't they beautiful??

Charlotte

Native Gardener's Companion

Prairie Moon Nursery's catalog has plants and seeds easily identified as pollinator plants. 

"Hi Charlotte, I enjoy our blog and newspaper articles so much! Do you happen to have a recommendation for a native plant catalog that shows how to handle monarch seeds and other wildflowers? I haven't been able to get too many wildflower seeds to sprout..." -- Anne Marie

Native Plant Catalog with How to Guides

Hi Anne Marie,

Glad you enjoy my writing. That's a very good question because many wildflowers do need special care before they will grow, something some people don't realize when they pick up wildflower seeds.

Stratification is exposing seeds to the same conditions they would have in nature to break their dormancy, something akin to kissing Sleeping Beauty to get her to wake up. Some seeds require moisture and warmth, others exposure to cold for a period of time, and even others such as pine tree seeds need exposure to heat and fire. Many seeds sold today don't tell you whether they have been pre-conditioned or not so if you're not sure, it's best to treat the seeds.

My favorite native plant catalog just arrived marked "damaged by the Postal Service" so my apologies for the rough look, I didn't do it, I promise!

I posted this so you could see USPS damage stamp but my, my those free seeds are distracting.

Prairie Moon Nursery's native North American Wildflowers plant catalog with handy guides.

My favorite native plant catalog with how to guides is the Native Gardener's companion out of Winona, Minnesota is Prairie Moon Nursery's Native Gardener's Companion, Seeds and Plants of authentic North American Wildflowers for Restoration and Gardening. Whew, long title but it gives you an excellent idea of what you will find inside.

Not only do they have lovely photographs of wildflowers, a must for any reference catalog, but they have added "how to" guides including a very helpful guide to stratification. They call it "germination codes and instructions," a handy guide to how to unlock those seeds and how long they need to be exposed to specific conditions.  

Prairie Moon Nursery catalog guide to germination has photos to illustrate the information.

Not sure what to plant together? This catalog has suggested planting combinations, which always gives me some good ideas for where to add plants to ones I already have started, or how to combine the ones I may find on sale. Since I tend to be a frugal shopper, these combinations are great inspiration because I don't always buy the plants that end up together at the same time. Or my friends don't share their surplus plants when I get other ones.

This is also another good source for plants if you don't want to wait, they are locally-grown, not wild-dug, and at least 1-2 years old, which is unusual any more. That means these are established plants and have a better chance of successfully transplanting.

Some of the wonderful plant combinations, and color combination inspiration.

Back to those tempting seed packets. The seed packets are $2.50 each which is a less expensive way to try new native plants to see if you can grow them, and if they take in your growing conditions.

This last seed mix name had me chuckling, we all want seeds to quickly start, don't we?

Prairie Moon Nursery native plant catalog features quick seed mixes for pollinators.

Not sure what plants attract what pollinators? Let's all turn to page 35-36, they have a wonderful guide on what kinds of plants attract what pollinators. And to those of you new to this, if you find your brand new plants munched on, congratulations, that means some bug found the food source you planted for them.

This Plant-Insect Interaction guide provides a cheat sheet for what to plant for what pollinators.

Their plant photos actually feature some of the pollinators that are attracted to the wildflowers. I now am at a point in my garden photography that if I don't see a pollinator on a plant, the photo is not complete, every plant with a pollinator on it is a story. Aren't these just marvelous??

Love, LOVE these plants photos with visiting pollinators, this is the way flower photos should be!

One more note, Prairie Moon Nursery has this native plants catalog and a more detailed cultural planting guide for advance gardeners and professional landscapers. You can also download both catalogs online if you don't want to wait for a catalog to be mailed to you.

If you live close to where they are located, make sure to call first, tours of the nursery are only available through appointment.

Sigh. I sure do like seeds. So this year, every Prairie Moon Nursery order includes a free packet of Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), I have bergamot growing all over my one-acre certified wildlife and Monarch Way Station hillside garden but I would gladly add more!

Let me know what you think of the Prairie Moon Nursery catalogs, and if you try out any seed packets!

Charlotte

Moving Irises

These yellow irises were a gift from a friend’s garden. She dug them up after they had bloomed so once in my garden, they bloomed the following year. When dug up while blooming, it can take iris 2 years to bloom again.

“My iris are blooming and they need to be divided.  Can I divide them after they are finished now or do I have to wait until fall?  They are so thick and crowded that not all of them bloom.  Can I dig them up and store them until fall and replant them somewhere?” – Vicki

Moving Irises

The best time to divide irises is immediately after they bloom through fall. No need to dig them up now and store unless you are moving, best to keep them in the ground growing until you are ready to divide and replant. Decreased blooming is a definite sign your iris are ready to be divided.

The next sign that you should consider transplanting your iris is if the roots, or rhizomes start heaving out of the ground. Overcrowded iris rhizomes will start to push on each other, which results in the entire root system of your iris plants literally pushing themselves out of the ground. They may even stop putting up foliage and the plants may only grow foliage on the outside edges of the clump.

Best Time to Make the Move

The best time to transplant iris is in the summer, after the iris have finished blooming, up until fall. To divide your iris, start by lifting the clump of iris plants out of the ground with a spade or fork. If possible, lift the whole mass out whole, but if you are unable to do this, carefully break the clump into smaller parts and lift these out.

Next, brush of as much dirt as possible from the iris rhizomes. This will make it easier to see when you are breaking the clumps apart. The next step in dividing iris plants is to divide the iris rhizomes.

 Irises store energy in their rhizome, or root. To divide these roots, make sure a piece of green foliage is attached. Cut the foliage back 4-6 inches after blooming and move to their new location. Also plant the root very shallow in the ground, barely covering the tiny roots on the side of the rhizomes, and water.

Each iris rhizome should be divided into pieces that are 3 to 4 inches long and have at least one fan of leaves on the rhizome. Do not remove the roots from the rhizomes. As you get closer to the center of the clump, you may find large sections of rhizomes that have no leaf fans. These can be composted.

Check all of the divided iris rhizomes for iris borers and disease. The iris rhizomes should be firm and not soft. If the rhizome feels soft, throw it away.

Once the iris rhizomes have been divided, you can replant them.

First, trim all of the iris leaf fans back to about 6 to 9 inches tall. This will allow the plant to re-establish its roots without having to support a large amount of foliage at the same time. Next, plant the iris rhizomes in the selected location. This location should receive a good deal of sunlight and should be well draining.

Dig a hole where the rhizome will settle into the ground just below the ground level. If planting several iris near each other, point the rhizomes away from each other and space them 18 inches apart. Spread the roots out around the rhizome and then cover the roots and the rhizome with dirt. Water the newly transplanted iris plants well. 

Charlotte

What Is This Plant?

Can you identify this spring-blooming plant in Missouri USDA zone 5b?

What Is This Plant?

It is one of the questions I get asked the most but not an easy question to answer. Especially when people try to just describe the plant, without a photo or a plant sample.

"So it has this funny curlycue on the side" and "my mother remembers this plant when she was little" are not good clues. If someone is not able to provide a photo, I ask them to tell me what plant they can identify that is similar to the one they don't know. Even then, there is no guarantee I will be able to identify it but I stand a better chance of getting close, or keeping them away from a particularly healthy batch of poison ivy.

One of the more controversial identifications is weeds versus herbs. Actually some weeds ARE herbs but not everyone appreciates that badge. It seems easier to mis-identify bluebells for Virginia bluebells, similar in name but different species.

I will be glad to help you if I can but for both of our sakes, if you would like a plant identified try to provide a photo or sample. If you didn't take one, go to a search engine and type in the color of flower or leaf shape, then surf through images until you find one similar. Who knows, you may even identify the plant yourself!

Have you identified the plant in photo? 

It's a prairie or climbing rose rosa setigera, one of Missouri's native spring-blooming roses.

Charlotte