Irises and daffodils -- when can I transplant them?

We are moving sometime this summer (June or July, I would guess) from Indiana to North Carolina. I have lots and lots of bearded and dwarf irises that have been in the ground for 2-3 years and do quite well here.





When can I safely dig them up to take with us? Is it OK for them to dry out (i.e. can I dig them up right away after they bloom?) or should they be the last thing I get before we drive away? Should I pack them in paper bags?





And all of the above questions for daffodils and narcissus, too...





Thanks so much!

Irises and daffodils -- when can I transplant them?
Putting them in pots is the best thing to do. If you can't do that then wait and dig them up at the last minute and keep the roots and bulbs moist until you can get them in the ground again. Hopefully that will only be a few days to a week.





They will probably do okay out of the ground for a longer period but I wouldn't take the chance. Bearded irises are just to special to take a chance.





Daffodils are can be treated the same way but they aren't as special as irises.
Reply:Dig them all up in late summer. Put the bulbs in onion bags so they can dry out. Cut the foliage of the irises back to about three or four inches ( they'll look like little fans). Replant the irises within several days, leaving the top part of the root exposed. Replant the other bulbs in the fall.
Reply:Unfortunately they need their green leaves to provide food for next years blooms. Is it at all possible to plant them in containers to take with you? I have several friends who have done this and the plants survived. We moved mock orange shrubs this way and they all did well.