Re: Yellow iris

---

Hi,

 

They look like the undersides of bearded iris rhizomes.  Irises are hardy perennials, not like cannas or dahlias.  I would leave the pots outdoors whenever it is above freezing and then bring them into a place where they will receive enough light to keep growing during the winter rather than storing them in the basement.  Water them occasionally, but don't leave them constantly wet. That could lead to rot. Then put them outside in the spring after danger of freezing is over.  At that time you could transfer them into the ground and leave them there, because once they are established they should be able to go through the winter on their own.  If you had received them a few weeks earlier, you could have put them in the ground this year, but now they don't have time to get roots established to hold them in the ground during periods of freezing and thawing.  I suggest you trim the leaves back to maybe six inches when you pot them.

 

Dorothy Willott in Northern Ohio, Zone 5.