Here are the step by step instructions:

• A MESS!!. A clump that is very overdue for splitting!

• Dig up the overgrown clump and wash it off.

• This rhizome (the mother) will never bloom again. The 2 daughters have the potential to bloom next year. There can be many more daughters. For your own garden you may leave the mother on but realizing it doesn’t rebloom.  I generally just replant the large daughters.

• This is where you cut the daughter from mother.

• Soak in a 10 percent bleach water solution for 5 minutes.  Afterwards, wash them off with hose water to make sure the iris is very clean.

• Set the iris out in the shade to seal off the cuts. Kept cool (e.g. basement) they can last a couple of weeks before replanting but sooner is better.

Here’s an example of a mother with many, many daughters.

(All photos and instructions are provided, with permission,  by Anne Ritcey.)