Cult: JI & SIB "wedges"

> Kinda curious about what you mean by taking "a section out of the clumps"

I would like to hear from Anna Mae on this also, but in the meantime,
I'll add my 2 cents. With Siberians and Japanese irises in the mixed
border, I have often shared with visitors to my garden by simply cutting
a pie wedge out of the established clump. This is done with a heavy duty
steel shaft spade that I keep very sharp. I backfill the wedge area with
good garden soil and water it in.  If this is done in late summer, the
plant fills in and by bloom time next season, you never know it was
chopped. By doing this, you can postpone the decline of the established
clump and the eventual backbreaking lift and divide routine. In
addition, you can avoid holes in the border while waiting for the plant
to re-establish. 

Decline of Japanese iris is much more pronounced and the plant will just
plain die, because new growth each season is on top of the old crown. In
a few years, it will grow itself out of the ground. By "wedging" and
with heavy mulch, you can keep the plant healthy for a longer period.  I
have a clump of 'Nikko' that has been in the mixed border for 7 years
and still performs very well. I have cut into that clump and shared so
many times that I have lost count. 

Hope this helps.

R. Dennis Hager
on Delmarva
where we got 4" of rain yesterday. That brings us up to 4.2" for July
and August.
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