Plant Doctor Archive

Water Gardens — Lifting water irises

I HAVE lovely water irises in my pond. Should I lift them for the winter?

IF they are Japanese irises, then yes. However, if they are other types, such as Siberian irises or Louisiana irises, then no.

In either case, you should wait until the green foliage has died down and gone brown. This allows nutrients to build up in the rhizome and ensures a strong plant for the following season.

Reproduced with permission from the former Weekend Gardener magazine. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the RNZIH.