Do you have any special secret or routine you use in handling rhizomes as you plant them? If they seem a little dry do you soak the roots? How often do you water? I know weather will effect watering. Do you use any rooting compound in a liquid such as "Thrive" One thing I do is cover each newly planted rhizome with a milk basket to provide some partial shade until they are established. I usually leave them on about a month. Tell us your routine. Here is an uninspiring picture of some milk baskets, each with a newly planted rhizome from a recently received order under it.

That seems like a good way to protect the rhizomes until they get acclimated. I have learned the hard way to just pot them up using potting soil with no fertilizer in it, and I keep them under an umbrella for a few weeks, watering them sparingly every 3 days at first and then stretching it out to once a week or so by the end of August; and I also remove the umbrella after 3-4 weeks. That way they're already rooted when I plant them in the fall, and because of our strong summer sun and heat that's what works best for me.

But I think your milk carton idea is a good one!

Hey Paul, I just noticed they have a microbadge for Hostas now too in addition to irises -- you just click on your name at the top of your post to take you to your profile, and then click on the micro badge stuff...

I have sandy soil, so it makes a difference. I use Soil Moist with Mycorrhiza for all my plantings including the bearded irises. I either pot the irises until about october, or I plant them and water them in with Miracle Gro. I then water them every three days until snow. My ground does not freeze, other than just the inch or so that touches the snow.

I don't do anything fancy. I try to get them planted as soon as possible and keep them in the shade intil planting. I never soak them as I am sure that would just be asking for rot. Then I water really well after planting and keep watering so they don't get totally dry.

Potting them up is best in hot climates. Plant out as late in the fall as you can in your area.

Hi Jackieshar! Nice to see you here!

The potting up method works really well for me too. It's typically so hot and dry here when they arrive, it's hard for me to get them established in the soil. I usually mix a little osmocote in the potting medium. I do like the milk crate idea though!

I received a couple MDBs from a friend, one hist. with the hot weather last week, they are now in pots.