How deeply do you plant IRIS bulbs?

My friend just gave me some a neighbor didn't want and I'm afraid I have NO IDEA what I am doing!



Thanks!

How deeply do you plant IRIS bulbs?
Tigglys,



To plant your irises, choose a sunny spot in well drained soil. Prepare the soil well, by spading or turning over the soil with a garden fork to a depth of at least 10 inches. Spread fertilizer and work it into the top of the soil. If possible, this should be done 2 to 3 weeks before you are ready to plant. A well prepared bed will result in better growth and more bloom.



Don't starve your irises or make them compete with nearby grass or weeds for food and water. Many gardeners, iris and otherwise, have soil analyses made of their garden soil, then add the fertilizer of the kind and quantity the tests show the soil needs.



The soil should be light. If it is clay soil, add very coarse sand and humus. Bone meal and a good garden fertilizer, low in nitrogen, are good for irises, but manure should be used only after it has aged for about a year. Otherwise, it may cause rot.



The roots must be buried firmly to hold the plant in place, but the rhizome should be near the surface. An easy way to achieve this is to dig two trenches with a ridge between them, place the rhizome on the ridge and spread the roots carefully in the trenches. Be sure to firm the soil tightly and allow enough for settling to keep the rhizome above any possible standing water. Then fill the trenches with soil, letting the top surface of the rhizome be just barely beneath the surface of the soil.



If you have several plants, plant them at least a foot and a half apart, "facing" the same way. The rhizomes will then increase in the same direction, without crowding each other too soon.



From the new parts of the rhizome, new bloom stalks will come up in later years and the flowers will be exactly as the original flower. This is called "vegetative propagation".



In about 2 or 3 years, the new rhizomes will begin to crowd each other and you will want to divide the plant, cutting the newer parts of the rhizome free from the old, which may then be discarded. Unlike the other bearded irises, arils need to be transplanted annually.



Digging and separating is best done between one and two months after bloom season, usually in July or August. Soon after this the irises grow roots which help to hold the plant firmly during the winter in areas where freezing and thawing can result in heaving the rhizome out of the ground. If you live in this type of climate, a mulch of salt hay can be very beneficial.
Reply:Shallow! In fact, I've thrown some over the bank that were left overs after I divided and they grew themselves, no planting at all. When I plant them however, I dig a shallow trench and leave a berm in the middle. The rhizome should sit on this berm so that it is slightly above ground and the roots should go down into the trenches on either side. I also trim the leaves to 3"-4" high and in an inverted "V" shape, so the plants energy goes to the roots to promote growth.
Reply:Plant them shallow and lengthwise with their backs or flat surface above ground. Their backs to the sun. They will multiply fast. So leave room for that to happen