Repotting guide

When & how to repot Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin' (Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin')

Also called Katharine Hodgkin iris, dwarf reticulata iris, blue yellow miniature iris.

More about iris 'katharine hodgkin'

About Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin'

Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin' · also called Katharine Hodgkin iris, dwarf reticulata iris · flowering

Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin' is a beloved dwarf reticulata iris flowering in late winter, with intricate pale ice-blue and primrose-yellow blooms veined and dotted in deeper blue. Plant the small bulbs in autumn in full sun and gritty, free-draining soil. At just 10-15 cm tall, it shines in rockeries, troughs and at the front of borders.

Mature size: 10-15 cm tall in flower; leaves lengthen after blooming then die back

Watch for — Summer wet and rot: Moist soil during dormancy rots the bulbs. Plant in sharply drained ground or lift and store dry, or grow in pots kept dry in summer.

How to tell iris 'katharine hodgkin' needs repotting

Repotting on a calendar is less reliable than reading the plant. For iris 'katharine hodgkin', watch for these signs:

Flowering has tailed off year on year and the clump has become congested and overcrowded.
Lots of leaf and few flowers — a classic sign that iris 'katharine hodgkin' bulbs or tubers need lifting and dividing.
Bulbs visibly bursting the pot or pushing each other to the surface.
It is the natural dormancy window (foliage yellowed and died back) — the only safe time to lift and split.

For the underlying biology of a pot-bound root system and why it stalls a plant, see our guide to spotting and fixing a root-bound plant.

How often to repot iris 'katharine hodgkin'

Lift and divide every 3–4 years once clumps congest. Rather than a true repot, iris 'katharine hodgkin' is lifted and divided once the clump congests and flowering drops off. Small bulbous perennial producing narrow upright leaves and a single intricately patterned flower per bulb in late winter, multiplying slowly into clumps..

What size pot to step iris 'katharine hodgkin' up to

Pot size matters less than depth and spacing here. When you replant iris 'katharine hodgkin', set the bulbs or tubers at the correct depth (a rough guide: two to three times their own height of soil over the top) and space them so they are not touching. A wide, shallow pot suits a clump better than a tall narrow one.

Not sure of the exact diameter? Our pot size calculator takes the current pot and root spread and tells you the right next size — it deliberately recommends a single step up, never a big jump.

The best time of year to repot iris 'katharine hodgkin'

The only safe window is dormancy: wait until the foliage has yellowed and died back naturally, lift and divide then, and replant before or at the start of the next growing season. Disturbing iris 'katharine hodgkin' in full growth or flower sets it back badly.

Step-by-step: repotting iris 'katharine hodgkin'

Wait for dormancy. Let iris 'katharine hodgkin' foliage yellow and die back completely. Lifting while it is in growth wastes the energy it is storing for next year.
Lift carefully. Loosen the soil well away from the bulbs/tubers with a fork and ease the whole clump out without spearing them.
Separate the offsets. Gently pull the clump apart into individual bulbs or tubers. Keep only firm, healthy, blemish-free ones.
Replant at the right depth. Reset them in fresh sharply drained, gritty, neutral to alkaline soil at the correct depth and spacing — not touching — so each has room to bulk up.
Water in and rest. Water once to settle them, then keep on the dry side until growth resumes. Do not feed until leaves are actively growing.

Aftercare

After replanting iris 'katharine hodgkin', keep the soil barely moist — not wet — until shoots appear; bulbs and tubers rot in cold, saturated soil. Once leaves are growing strongly, resume normal watering. Hold off feeding until the plant is in active growth again.

The right soil mix for iris 'katharine hodgkin'

Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin' wants sharply drained, gritty, neutral to alkaline soil. Demands very free drainage; add grit to beds or grow in alpine troughs and pots. It dislikes summer moisture, so dry, lean, slightly alkaline soils suit it best. Always use fresh mix when you repot — reusing old, broken-down soil reintroduces the compaction and poor drainage you are repotting to fix.

Repotting iris 'katharine hodgkin' — frequently asked questions

How often should you repot iris 'katharine hodgkin'?

Lift and divide every 3–4 years once clumps congest for iris 'katharine hodgkin'. Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin' is lifted and divided, not "repotted". Every 3–4 years, once the foliage has died back and it is dormant, lift the clump, separate the offsets, and replant at the correct depth in sharply drained, gritty, neutral to alkaline soil. Crowding, not pot size, is what reduces flowering over time.

What size pot does iris 'katharine hodgkin' need?

When is the best time of year to repot iris 'katharine hodgkin'?

Do you "repot" iris 'katharine hodgkin', or lift and divide it?

You lift and divide it. Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin' grows from bulbs or tubers, so instead of repotting you wait for dormancy, lift the congested clump, separate the healthy offsets, and replant them at the right depth and spacing. Doing this every 3–4 years restores flowering.

Should you fertilise iris 'katharine hodgkin' after repotting?

Hold off feeding iris 'katharine hodgkin' until it is in active growth again. Fresh soil already carries enough nutrients to get it re-established, and feeding disturbed roots too soon does more harm than good.