Lea County Extension Office

How to Divide Irises

Home and Garden Show 2020 Presentation

This information on Dividing Irises is presented by Lea County Master Gardener, Kathleen Pryer.  Kathleen shares a video with us from former NMSU Specialist Curtis Smith on dividing Irises. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5ZZ_PvNcws&feature=youtu.be

Here are some additional tips from Kathleen on dividing your Irises:

• Irises need to be divided every three to five years. When your Irises are not blooming profusely or there is an empty space in the middle of the clump where the oldest plants are.  They will not be hard to divide, as you can see in the video.
• Divide your Irises 4 to 6 weeks after they finish blooming. You will need a spading fork or shovel, scissors, marker and hose or water. 
• Label your Irises as you dig them up.  They are all alike, once you have dug them up.  label the fans of each clump with your permanent marker to prevent mix-ups. 

• Trim the fans back to about 6-inches using scissors.  This will encourage good root growth when they are replanted. 

Kathleen also suggests the Historic Iris Preservation Society for additional information on Irises.  They have some great resources on their website at https://www.historiciris.org/iris-basics/

We hope you enjoy the "Fruits of our Labor".  If you have Home or Garden Questions, or would like more information on Lea County Extension Programs please feel free to contact the Lea County Extension Service Staff at:

Agriculture Agent--Wayne Cox   hwcox@nmsu.edu

Family & Consumer Science Agent--Robin Haynes  rmack@nmsu.edu

4-H/Youth Development--Kayla Hinrichs kdawn07@nmsu.edu