I've just added a new iris bed to my garden and am going to be planting several new plants. What do you suggest for how often I should water the irises to help their roots get a good start?

I usually water once a day if the weather is hot, or every other day if not too hot unless it rains. I quit that when I can gently tug on the iris and the roots hold it in place. That tells me it's root system is developed enough to find water. However this year we have been getting a lot of rain.

tveguy3 said:I usually water once a day if the weather is hot, or every other day if not too hot unless it rains. I quit that when I can gently tug on the iris and the roots hold it in place. That tells me it's root system is developed enough to find water. However this year we have been getting a lot of rain.

Thanks for your help. I've been having trouble getting my irises to increase and bloom and I've tried everything. This year I decided the cause might be lack of water. I always hear that irises like it dry so I haven't watered much other than what we get from the frequent rains. So this year I'm watering more often.

It's been unusually dry here in Seattle.

Irises like a good soak at least once a week unless it is very dry then they like two.

People often mistake 'dry tolerant' for 'dry loving'. Irises do not love being dry, they just hate sitting in wet or soggy soil.

IrisLilli said:Irises like a good soak at least once a week unless it is very dry then they like two.

People often mistake 'dry tolerant' for 'dry loving'. Irises do not love being dry, they just hate sitting in wet or soggy soil.

Thanks, Lilli. It's so helpful to be able to ask my questions and get responses from such experienced iris growers. And it's fun having someone to talk to about my favorite subject. I'm so fortunate to have come across NGA.

Lilli said it perfectly. If you see the tips of your iris leaves turning brown they need water. No new leaves..... they need water. Irises are drought tolerant which means they will live through dry conditions. However, they will not thrive under very dry conditions. Newly planted irises need watering frequently for a week or two and perhaps more if the water is not soaking deeply enough.

grannysgarden said:Lilli said it perfectly. If you see the tips of your iris leaves turning brown they need water. No new leaves..... they need water. Irises are drought tolerant which means they will live through dry conditions. However, they will not thrive under very dry conditions. Newly planted irises need watering frequently for a week or two and perhaps more if the water is not soaking deeply enough.

I'm piggybacking this 4yr old thread. I would like to plant iris at our cabin in NorCal. I might be Abe to eater every other week

Hi Msgrnjns! I think you can give irises a try. Keep track of the weather--you may get sufficient rains so you won't need to water every visit. If it hasn't rained, give them a good slow watering so that it soaks in well. Keep the irises weeded so there is less competition for water. If the soil is sandy, add organic material to help improve water retention.
Are there particular cultivars you are hoping to plant?

It depends on where in Northern California you are talking about. Where I live, they could not survive unless they were already established, as most of mine survived when we had to evacuate from the Caldor fire. But had I just planted them, I would say water at least once a week in the heat of summer for the first year.