Question
On my Iris's I have pods with seeds in them, can I dry the seeds and plant them? Will they grow,and how long before they will bloom? Is it best to pot seeds in containers first?

Answer
Hello Joyce,

The answer to your question depends on a few factors.  I will explain.

Have your seed pods dried on your iris plants?  If they have it can take several years for them to germinate, because they go into kind of a period of dormancy, so I think it is too late to try and reproduce them.

But - if your seed pods are still partially green you have some opportunities.  Have a look at them. If they are still partially green plant them NOW and you can have seedlings by fall or spring.

Put the seeds in some kind of protected medium ?planting them outdoors will give them too much competition. Plant them 綌 deep. Use a good light seed starting mix, rather than soil. Water them well and place them in a cool shady spot ?don抰 use a heat mat. Keep them moist until they sprout.

Another germination method I have used personally with great success is to put the seeds on damp paper towels or coffee filter and keep them in zip lock bags until they sprout, and then transplant them. This way you won抰 be constantly watering them, but you can monitor their progress. One they germinate you will, of course, need to move them to a growing medium (carefully!)

When they are several inches tall (at lest five inches) gently transplant them, and I would definitely use containers. But it should be done in cooler weather. Transplanting in fall or spring is best ?they get their best growth in cooler weather. If you get them established by late summer there is a very good chance that they will bloom in spring.

Does this help? If it isn抰 clear, please feel free to write again.

Regards,

Donna