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Bearded iris do not require a lot of water. A common mistake is to water too much. However, newly set plants need moisture so they can grow a new root system. Water them once a week until the roots are established. When they begin to show new growth, you can water only as needed. Iris do not like to have wet feet, so let the soil dry out between each watering. Iris go semi-dormant in the summer months. Established plants do not require much watering except in very arid parts of the country (like Oklahoma). In the intensely hot summer...

A common mistake is to plant iris too deep. Iris buried too deep will not grow well. To plant your rhizomes, dig a shallow hole in the prepared bed. Place a small handful of soil in the bottom of the hole and place the rhizome on top of it. The roots should be well spread out over the soil. Fill in the hole, make sure that the soil is pressed down firmly. The iris should be planted just deep enough so that the top of the rhizome will be at the surface of the soil within reach of the warmth...

Generally iris are planted from 8 to 24" apart depending on the type. Smaller dwarf or median iris can be planted closer together, while the taller ones need to be set further apart. Just remember that the closer together you plant, the more often you will have to divide. One can plant 3 rhizomes of the same variety for an immediate effect. Place the toes of the rhizomes to the center of the clump. Space clumps 20 - 24" apart.

When planting consider how much light the area will receive during the day. Iris prefer a location with at least half a day exposure to the sun. Iris do not do well in shade. When grown in deep shade they will be produce a lot of foliage which is long and lanky, and produce very little bloom.

Plant iris so that they are well established before the first freezes of winter. You can dig and divide plants after they finished blooming in the spring. Another good time to divide and move your iris rhizomes is in the fall (September in Oklahoma) after they start coming out of their summer dormancy. If you buy plants in the summer and can’t plant them in your garden right away, you can place them in pots. Set them in the shade or semi-shade until you are ready to plant them in the garden this fall. Potted iris that are set in...