I don't...

Typically it's done in hottest part of July while they are dormant. You can dig them up, discard the rubbish, divide the rhizomes, trim the leaves & reset them for next year.

I don't either. in the spring I tidy up any foliage before they come into flower again. I do dead head the flowers cutting the stalk down to the base.

If I cut them down at all, it will be in late autumn... though I might remove damaged or diseased leaves at other times.

Thanks for that, I suppose because they are encroaching over the path it just means they need dividing! All I need now is the space to put the divisions.

Yeh, don't let them get too compact. Sounds like they need dividing. Each rhizome will produce 3 or 4 new plants (called daughters) Keep the daughers & discard the mother rhizome. Mother rhizome will never bloom again. Eventually they will choke them selves out if not divided I gave away a few and planted a few at a local park.

That's interesting Bathgate as my 'mother' rhizomes flower every year. When I split them they all get replanted some in pots for sale, others go back in the garden. I trim the old rhizome off leaving about 2-3" behind the growing point.

LOL you just said 'I don't either'. Now suddenly you do? What type are you growing? Sometimes it's difficult to tell which is which, esp if you leave them in the ground which is what you said you did. Now suddenly you split & divide? uggghh!

Once a rhizome has bloomed, that rhizome will not bloom again. Only the “increase” rhizomes that grow along the edges of the “mother” rhizome will bloom, so save the “increase”. ... It may have a bloom stalk still attached. Discard all the other rhizomes and leaves by placing in the curbside trash can. Do NOT compost
iris plants.

Here is a helpful guide

Digging, Dividing and Replanting
Bearded Irises

https://www.canr.msu.edu/uploads/234/42615/May_2016_.pdf

I said I didn't either ie cut back the foliage. I do split rhizomes when I wish to propagate them.
I don't understand why you misinterpreted my comment to the question which was 'When does everyone cut back the leaves on bearded Iris's?'

I do know the difference between the rhizomatous iris species if not individual varieties. I do grow many different species.

thanks for the link which I have read. But I still find the iris flower very year so unless the parent plant rots away over the winter and I don't notice.......
I used the RHS advice pages as a teaching resource because propagating techniques by rhizome is part of our science syllabus for 16 yr olds and then again for 18yr old biology students. It was a recognised ref point.

this is what they say about iris division.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=526

That's how I understood your comment 'I don't either' means exactly that. Sorry if you meant something else.

i didnt mean anything else, then you posted about me

'Now suddenly you do? What type are you growing? Sometimes it's difficult to tell which is which, esp if you leave them in the ground which is what you said you did. Now suddenly you split & divide? uggghh! '

so I was just confirming that I don't cut leaves back as a rule and when I need to divide plants to make space for other plants I do.

Hope that clears that up. :o)

OK Ok yes I understand now. I was wrong. OK? let it go.