Cutting Back Bearded Iris

I have been asked about wether you should trim bearded iris back at this time of year. You can trim iris back, but you don’t have to. The rule of thumb is that if your bearded iris look pretty ragged at the tips – from lots of very hot days, 2 months early (south Texas this year) – then yes, you can use a pair of garden shears and trim back your bearded iris leaves. It won’t hurt them, and actually it reduces the amount of leaves that the stressed root system has to support right now in very hot and dry weather. However, if your leaves look fine, then just leave them alone.
You definately want to trim your leaves after you have dug up your bearded iris for dividing and transplanting. Dig you rhizomes up, break them apart, and trim the leaves back to about 4 inches tall. Strip off any yellowed/dead leaves. Let your bearded iris dry out for three days (to let the break heal over) and then replant the rhizome. Remember not to plant too deeply. You want to bea bale to see the top of the rhizome. Water your plants in well afterward. Add some bone meal around your plant.