Grrrr mislabelled iris and selling out of season

[gardening70]

Couple of grrrrs

Sellers who sell plants 'out of season'

I notice iris are being sold all year round.

Iris should only be divided for sale late Nov-Feb. After that there is no guarantee they will flower for flollowing spring.

I have bought iris flowering now, with a least 4  not as stated. I always buy 2 rhizomes of each and am particular when planting and all are labelled.

Chicksaw sue- flowered "cheerful one"

Faint praise- flowered unknown blue

Thunderstick- flowered thunderstick + unknown orange

Falling in love-flowered unknown cream

And because there is such a time lapse between purchase and flowering there is nothing that can be done.....

[phorum_junkie*]

With such a diverse climate I am sure there is somewhere in Australia conditions will be ideal 12 months of the year.

Would that the worst thing in my life I had worry about was if my irises would flower:_|

[kopenhagen5]

Hothouses?

Contact sellers and if they don't rectify incorrect items, you have feedback to warn other buyers. 😉

[amalan11]

Yes ,I guess its buyer beware but iv noticed a similar thing with Hippeastrum bulbs  that are sold this time of year but have alredy flowered for this year

It seems a bit sly to me not to state they have flowered already as here in sydney they have been flowering in gardens the last few weeks but I plant my bulbs up to Dec and they still flower .

I see people buying them  assuming they are just needing planting to flower this year.Some sellers have a few negs/neu over it

Are you talking about Bearded Iris ? I want to get some but as they are flowerng now I assumed it was too late to buy for this year but thats interesting ..I was wondering when   the time was to buy:-D

[gardening70]

raid not Jukie. Bearded iris flower Sept-early Nov depending on the variety and only give one show.  Plants are generally  not sent to WA,/TAS due to quarantine issues and are not suited to some areas of OZ.

In the same way you wouldn't dig up daffodil bulbs early spring, you don't dig iris right before they flower or during flowering. Or hippes, as amalan pointed out.

Iris, don't flower on the same rhyzome twice, they flower, then set about producing offsets rhyzomes which flower the following season. Which is why they end up in big clumps with the flowering stems on the outside.

Hothouse iris.....interesting, but you'd only do it for the first flowering, they're generally not suited to longterm in pots.

Amalan, buy them from Dec through to Feb/March. For guarantees go with a registered iris nursery. They can ultimately be a bit cheaper and give you extras. 

I've seen people buy iris on ebay for $50+ for a single rhyzome you could get from mail order iris nurseries for $8.....so do your homework.

They are beautiful

[donkeynomad]

Never had a problem dividing my iris at any time of the year and having them flower the next spring and my garden is full of iris. I have also bought iris here at all times of the year and they have flowered quickly.

I had them flowering all winter this year but it is a strange one with out of season flowering, I even have my gladdies flowering now which has never happened before.

[gardening70]

O.K well there you go, in western vic divide whenever. In NSW i'd say stick to the above times.

You are definitley having an unusual season.

Enjoy!

[phorum_junkie*]

In the same way you wouldn't dig up daffodil bulbs early spring,

:_| sore point with me, I have a LOT of daffs, snowdrops etc here in the UK but unfortunately most years only my neighbours get the pleasure of looking at them as they have mostly died off when I arrive back. I never lift them by the way.

[morsza]

My iris have almost finished flowering! They always start early in August and they continue to flower every year, not just once in their life time. I never divide them they just keep on growing !

[gardening70]

A couple of clarifications

"I never lift them by the way"

I only lift to divide or sell, so my comment related to selling.

 Morza, I think you will find they flower on the side rhyzomes that they produce after first flowering, that's why the clumps get bigger 🙂