Buy Japanese iris (purchase iris ensata) at Iriswarehouse. Guarantee 3 rhizomes(fans) with each plant ordered. Japanese iris are shipped in the fall. Japanese irises enjoy an acid soil, so they do enjoy a bit of compost or manure in the soil at planting time and again in the spring as fans emerge from the soil. Japanese iris will arrive bare root and with roots wet. Make sure that you do not let the roots dry out before planting. Also, during the first week we suggest that you keep roots watered. During the first winter after planting, we do suggest cutting the foliage down to approx. 6 inches and topping with straw or pine needles for those winters that require protection.