When is the best time to transplant bearded iris?

Bearded iris are one of the most popular perennial flowers in the American landscape.  They have attractive spiky foliage that is evergreen in many Zones and provide beautiful blooms multiple times a year.  They are cold hardy and are easily propagated and transplanted.

The best time of the year to transplant bearded iris is late summer.  This provides the plant with sufficient time to establish a new root structure before the winter.  Bearded iris grow from rhizomes, which quickly grow roots that provide the plant with the nutrients required to grow and form flowers.  The rhizomes should be removed from the soil using a garden fork making an attempt to keep as much root structure as possible.  The spiky leaves of the plant can be trimmed at this time to reduce the risk of the plant being disturbed by strong wind gusts when it is replanted.  Plant the rhizome in its new location so that only about a half of the rhizome is buried in the soil.  This enables the rhizome to receive direct sunlight and more vigorously replenish its stored starches and proteins.