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Q&A – Can you use a knife to thin iris without digging them up?

Question:
Can you cut off part of an iris tuber with a knife to thin out your plants without digging up the whole plant?

Answer:
Yes, you can. Gardening Expert Tonya Ashworth says when irises get too crowded they will stop blooming and need to be thinned. If you don’t mind losing what you cut off you can thin them by using a long sharp knife without the effort of digging them up.

Related Videos:
Iris
When should I dig up my iris?

Related Resources:
Dividing Iris
Bearded Iris For The Home Landscape
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  • Home
  • Watch
    • TV Schedule
    • Full Episodes Online
    • How-to and Informational
    • Questions and Answers
    • This Week in the Garden
    • Garden Notes
  • Garden Topic Collections
    • Apple Trees: How-to and Information
    • Peach Trees: How-to and Information
    • Tomatoes: How-to and Information
    • Square Foot Garden Blog
  • Resources
    • Soil Testing
    • Extension Publications
    • Gardening Resources
    • Blogs
    • Organic Gardening
    • Articles
    • Privacy
  • Guests
  • Contact Us
    • Ask a Gardening Gardening Question
  • Search