Dwarf iris bulbs

polb

Hi, I was given some dwarf iris bulbs for Christmas and I was wondering what the best thing is to do with them as I guess they should have been planted a few months ago.

Should I just plant them now and not expect much from them this year? Will they still improve and come back each year?

Should I just store them until autumn? If so how should I store them?

Many thanks!

Lizzie27

I would just plant them as usual. They do better in small terracotta pots with some added grit. They should flower a bit later than usual if you're lucky.

Dovefromabove

They won’t keep until autumn ... as long as they’re not squishy I’d  plant them now ... I’d put them in a container of gritty compost and put them in a sheltered corner of the garden ... I think they’ll flower for you ... probably next year too, but the little Iris reticulata don’t last for many years unfortunately. 

polb

Thanks Lizzie - I was trying to avoid planting bulbs in pots this year!! I'll maybe do that for just these then. Would they be suitable to then plant out come autumn?

polb

Ah ok - a pot it is then! Many thanks to you both for your advice. Very helpful thank you! 

Astro

I often put them pots and sink the pots in the ground. It means you can control their conditions better and they can be put in or pulled when you want

polb

Oh that's a great idea! Thank you!