Iris Post-Bloom Care: Trim Foliage and Mulch

After blooming, iris foliage was flopping onto sedum. The expert advised leaving leaves as long as possible for photosynthesis but trimming slightly to reduce flopping. Nature's Helper (or pine mini-nuggets) is an excellent mulch—it's a composted pine bark product that improves soil.

Iris Care Calendar:

• Post-bloom: Trim flower stalks; leave foliage.
• Summer: Light trim if flopping; water in drought.
• Fall: Cut foliage to 6 inches after frost.
• Mulch: Pine bark, straw, or composted products.

Don't remove green leaves prematurely—they fuel next year's flowers.