FAQs

Iris can survive for 100 years or longer, so your memorial can be beautiful for many years. Iris plants benefit from uncrowded conditions. Plants grown in the same location for many years often need to be thinned. Please see the links we provide on iris care.

The iris rhizome you receive is healthy and ready to bloom the spring after it is planted. The timing of its bloom in the spring depends upon local weather. Irememberirises are grown in central Indiana, USA, in horticultural zone 5b. The timing of bloom listed in our catalog reflects that environment. Your iris will bloom earlier or later, depending on your horticultural zone.

Plant age, soil conditions, and weather can all affect the color of an iris bloom, as well as the number of blooms produced.

Some irises, especially tall irises, produce flower spikes that are pushed over by strong spring winds. If your iris is exposed to strong winds, tying the flower spike to a garden stake should prevent it from blowing down. A flower spike that has blown over can usually be staked up without injury.

Irises of all sizes can grow well and bloom in containers, although smaller irises do best in pots. Container-grown irises do best in soil and containers that encourage good drainage. *** In horticultural zones colder than 5b (check your zone here ***), irises benefit from a layer of mulch over winter to protect them. Mulch should be removed in the spring once new growth appears.

Irises are tough and easy to grow, but a few basics are essential. Do not bury your iris’ rhizome; about half of the rhizome should be visible on the surface, although all the roots should be buried. Please see histoiciris for excellent guidance. Irises tolerate dry conditions well but should be watered if extreme heat or drought occur. Irises will not tolerate prolonged wet soil. Irises benefit from fertilization but many commercial fertilizers intended for lawns are too rich in nitrogen and have insufficient phosphate to promote flowering. Look for balanced fertilizer, such as 5-5-5 or 10-10-10. Use whatever brand you like. Irises are relatively disease free, although in some areas, pests, especially iris borers, can be a problem. This link explains the symptoms of iris borer attack and how to control iris borers.

As irises grow, their stems, called rhizomes, branch. These branches can be divided away from the mother plant and shared with others. The cuttings will grow and bloom identically to the parent plant from which they were taken. For a fee, Irememberirises will propagate the iris you choose if you wish to share it with multiple recipients. Contact Keith@irememberirises.com for a quote. Instructions for propagating your iris yourself are available as videos online.

Irememberirises are dug and shipped from April through October, but the timing of your delivery will depend upon when your order was placed and the horticultural zone to which your iris will be delivered. We try to time our delivery so that your iris will be received at a time when it can be planted and thrive. In some cases, this means we must delay delivery until the spring following your order. (This procedure is standard with commercial plant nurseries.) We will notify you and your recipient if applicable when your iris is ready to ship.

Customers who request delivery of their iris to a location in very warm horticultural zones (such as zone 8 or 9) receive a warning flag because most of our irises will not grow well or may not bloom in those locations. For that reason, we do not recommend trying to grow our irises in these zones, especially in the gulf and southeastern states. A few locations in zones 8 and 9 can grow irises because their nighttime temperatures are cold enough to induce flower formation.  Local garden centers and nurseries are usually reliable sources of information about whether irises will grow in your area. 

The most common cause of this problem is overcrowding. Check out videos, gardening books, or online resources for how to thin your iris bed. Some irises do not bloom if they are over-fertilized with high-nitrogen fertilizer. Choose a balanced fertilizer or one with a high phosphate to nitrogen ratio. Finally, iris plants that are not growing well due to poor soil conditions, pests, or disease can sometimes fail to produce a flower.

Yes! We will gladly respond to inquiries at info@irememberirises.com. We are a small family business, so depending on the season and our work load, it may take a few days for us to respond.

Irises can’t be grown indoors. Dwarf irises, which we offer, can be grown as patio plants in a large pot as long as they get at least six hours of full sun. Irises grown in pots must have excellent drainage. Irises in pots will not thrive in standard potting soil- they need soil that has been amended 50/50 with course sand such as masonry sand or perlite.