Re: To move or not to move?

Sharyn,

Quel drag! This is what I would do:

1) pot up all the new stuff one rhizome to the pot in a nice friable mix that
holds a little moisture but drains well. Any good commercial potting soil
will do. I use a pot that is 6-8 inches in diameter, but others have said
that 4" is adequate. Water these and put them somewhere well ventilated and
with a little sun, but not scorching.

2)Wait one week, and start to lift all the other stuff. Divide it, groom it,
and put it in a nice dry, well ventilated place off the ground to wait to be
replanted. I like to use lattice bottomed nursery flats. I upturn one and put
another on it right side up and arrange the rhizomes on this with the roots
up and the rhizome hanging over the edge. This way if they get rained on a
little they will drain and they will have air moving all around them. Don't
leave them in the sun since they can cook.

3) Clear out all the weeds, stones, etc. out of the bed, edge it etc. But
don't bother to turn it or add amendments if you are confident the carpenter
will trample it.

4) If the carpenter comes in two weeks and is done in one week you can then
pick out any debris he left, turn the soil in the bed, amend it, and reset
your plants, including the new ones. If he doesn't come as planned, you can
pot up your old rhizomes and then when he does finish, you can clear, turn,
amend, etc. and plant them, I would not hesitate to leave the rhizomes in the
flats for three weeks. I've done it many times.

5) If you have potted everything up remember that you can take your time
about getting them into the bed, although I would certainly make sure they
were in there by the first of September, or earlier if you loose the sun on
that bed. Remember, too, that the soil in the pots will add to the mass of
the bed. It's worth getting some good stuff to pot them in since this can
function as a soil amendment. Avoid creating holes of loose material in a bed
of dense soil, because this may cause drainage problems, and be careful not
to knock all the roots off when resetting the potted irises. 

Of course, if you have more space, one possibility is to move the bed to a
new location and fresh soil. If you hate it, you can always move them back in
a couple of years after the bed has rested.

This then, for what it is worth. I hope your carpenter is a man of his word,
and light on his little feets. Watch out for dropped nails!

Anner Whitehead, Richmond. VA  Zone 7, urban
Henry Hall henryanner@aol.com
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