I think we all figure out what works best for our particular climates and conditions. I had fewer percentages of blooms in the areas that weren't planted at the optimal times for my area.

It's the re-bloomers that I have a hard time knowing when to divide. I have a few that go off every 4-6 weeks in the summer..

I think you can transplant irises any time and they should live.

I think a lot of vendors wait until later to ship so they have the biggest rhizomes possible to send out to buyers.

That, and the fact that the rhizomes have new starts growing on them by then. I think what we call a dormant stage is really growth under the ground. New starts are getting established, and the rhizomes that didn't mature enough to bloom are growing.

Lestv said:I think a lot of vendors wait until later to ship so they have the biggest rhizomes possible to send out to buyers.

The rhizomes I ordered and planted last March/April were a very nice size indeed, and continued
to grow beautifully for my area/Zone. However, I have to admit that my largest and best rhizome
was received from Superstition Iris (VISHNU) and today the plant is looking incredible so I know
that I will have terrific blooms from this Iris.

Really the size of the rhizome doesn't matter.

Unfortunately, Greg/ICG emailed me this :
Sorry, we don't dig in the spring. Plants are coming out of dormancy and trying to bloom so it's not a good time to transplant.
I emailed Cynthia and asked her about Spring Shipping, haven't had any reply yet.
Thank you so much for your input friends !

After we "talked" about "Cynthia's" the other day.......I made an order, and she replied a few minutes later, asking if I wanted them this week, so, she'll be getting back to you, Alan. She has several that are on my "goner" list, although, unfortunately , a couple of them aren't "in stock" this year. I did manage to get 5, though !
All in all, I've had pretty good luck with "spring planted" rhizomes.....our "spring weather" is a little more "friendly" for new plants, than our "late summers" are......milder temps, more rain, and.....a lot more 'year" left before freeze up
That said, I can easily understand why vendors would rather NOT *spring ship*. I generally try to order early.......as soon as the place will accept orders, or, even before! ( I send an e mail with my requests, ask about availability, and ask to be informed as to when the actual 'order" can be placed. If you tell them you "need" them as early in the season as you can get them, most often they will make yours the "first dig"....and even an extra week, or two, can make a big difference.

I buy from the local lady in the spring and some of the Iris are in bloom. I haven't had any major issues if I pot them up. Last year some of the ones I planted right away died but I think that was because of our drought.

If they sent theirs now they'd lose out on restocking their inventory themselves. A lot of major vendor also do multiple hybridizing crosses with the stock in their gardens. No irises for them to bloom, no future crosses. Reblomers can be very vigorous yet sometimes smaller too since they're almost always working ton divide.

Almost all I received though have had an average of 6-10 per increases per rhizome. And they'll just multiply and multiply. You also want full foliage instead of cut foliage in the spring time.

I also have tiny rhizomes with bigger fans than some of my bigger ones and now bloom stalks. I'm new to the iris game and have watched mines like a hawk almost everyday I've been home since last August. Size doesn't matter , but it's nice to have good increases to get that clump instantly started.

WilliamsonFarmflowers will ship in may possibly.

Region 7 had a garden tour of Iris City Gardens and Macy was so nice. Many door prizes were from there and people seemed happy. I did not get to go but the club members who did said it was great. Have been to several meetings with Macy and they bring great plants for auction.

I ask for earliest delivery which ends up in July often. That gives lots of time for the rhizome to get acclimated and put out some good roots. Took one up for examination last week and found it already had roots over 6" in length. Of course not all have that much growth.

Old House Gardens lists iris as "spring planted" so they must ship early from Michigan.