When we lived in Colorado, I talked to a guy who raises them as a business.
He said you could just lay them on the ground and they would be OK. He also
said that you should transplant them as soon as they quit blooming. That
way most of them will bloom the following year. Otherwise they may not
bloom until the second summer after transplanting.

Dwayne


"laurie (Mother Mastiff)" wrote in message
.. .
Last fall, my handyman put dirt over the iris corms, covered them
entirely,
I failed to notice it, and as a result, I only got 2 blooms this year out
of
a whole bed. Devastating.

In previous years, I had great blooms and a nice long span of blossoms, so
the soil and light are appropriate.

I rinsed an inch or more of dirt off the corms, but they look so nekkid
and
exposed (about half out of the dirt, some a little more, some a little
less), then I got to worrying about how much of the corm IS supposed to be
exposed, for optimal blooms next year. Don't want the corms damaged by
severe weather if we get it this winter.

So how much should be above the soil? A third? Half? Spill!

I tore out a bed of orange daylilies next to the iris bed to plant more
iris
this fall, about 4 weeks ago. Is it OK that the new corms (which were
dried
out and topless when bought) are making shoots, and have 3-5 inches of new
growth? They got some organic bulb booster about 2 weeks after they were
planted, so they wouldn't use up their strength this fall and have nothing
left for spring.

Anxiously awaiting advice, I adore my iris,

laurie (Mother Mastiff)