RE: TB: Moving First Year Plants?

Hi,
You would find it very interesting to see how deep those Iris roots have
gone.  Expect to find them to be 18" to 30" long.
Generally, I move the whole clump under these conditions and I have done
this successfully.  One of the advantages is next year you will have a two
year clump rather than a one year clump again.  

I dig a hole, too big and then make the move.  I have a dog so I save the
dog food bags and I use one for this.  I put the bag nearby and put the dug
clump on the bag to move it.  They can be heavy and awkward, and using the
bag means that the clump is kept as nearly as possible whole.  
Do give moving the clump a try.
Char, New Berlin, WI Zone 4b

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-iris@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On Behalf Of
Matbeach1@aol.com
Sent: Friday, March 11, 2005 9:50 PM
To: iris@hort.net
Subject: [iris] TB: Moving First Year Plants?

An iris newbee who seeks your expertise here...

We have decided to extend our back deck. We will not begin construction 
before August (the time when we would normally plant iris here).
Unfortunately, 
this will mean that I will have to move six iris plants that were planted
back in 
late August 2004. I understand that iris always perform better the second or

third year, after they have had a chance to get established in one spot. 
Fortunately, most of my new irises will stay put; however, I have no
alternative 
but to move these particular 1st year plants. 

So, I would like to ask you: should I take a shovel, dig it in deep and try 
to move the rhizomes, roots, AND the soil around them in an attempt to 
transplant the irises as "intact" as possible in big soil-laden clumps for
their new 
bed? Or should I not worry about the soil and just assume that the rhizomes,

once having been in the ground for a year, will do fine replanted, even
though 
the roots are "dangling" like they would be if I received them straight from

Schreiner's, Mid-America or whomever? 

The plants look great right now, especially healthy each and every one--we 
are in our first week here in coastal SC of no below freezing lows and the 
little green fans are starting to shoot out everywhere (though the wind
sounds as I 
write as if it is about to blow the shingles off of our roof! typical 
March/April pattern here--I'll ask you later about stakes!).

Your opinions are most appreciated--
Thank you--
Mike in Zone 8
Coastal SC (Myrtle Beach, SC)

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