Question
My Iris's have many ponds on them ready to drop into my pond.I dont have any dirt in it as my pond has a liner.Please tell me what i can do to propigate the seeds.......Many thanks, Bonnie

Answer
Hi Bonnie,
Thanx for your question.  My brother had Iris pseudocorus growing in his pond and it would set seed all the time.  Seeds would drop out of the pod and get into cracks in the rocks around the pond and the next year, baby irises would pop up between the cracks!

Allow the pods to ripen and turn brown.  Bring cut the pod of of the stem and open it up.  Seeds will be like little brown or black half-moons about half the size of a pea.  You will need to vernalize them or give them a cold period.  You can either plant them in a pot and leave them outdoors for the winter and they will emerge next spring, or you can start them in November by placing them in a damp paper towel, sealing them in a baggie and placing them in the refrigerator (not freezer) for 60 days.  In February, plant the seeds barely covered in a pot and keep moist and warm.  They will emerge in a couple of weeks.  They will look like blades of grass.  At first, they grow slowly but by the last frost, bring them outdoors in a shady spot for 10 days and then plant in full sun and they will start quickly.  Usually, they will begin blooming the second year but sometimes it takes three years.  I hope this helps.
Tom