What (if anything) can I put on Iris bulb-beds to make them bloom?

I have a huge iris bed that my mother brought to South Carolina nearly 50 years ago from Ohio. I recently began to break up the bed, as the roots and bulbs were so prolific they were sticking up out of the ground. I transplanted some of them, but I still can't get them to bloom,so something must be missing from the soil. Is there anything I can put on the beds to encourage blooms?

What (if anything) can I put on Iris bulb-beds to make them bloom?
Wow!! How lucky to inherit such a treasure. I want to make this as simple as I can. Irises are not bulbs they are rhizomes. This is how I plant them. Dig a hole about the size of a ceral bowl. Mound up your dirt in the middle of the hole and sprinkle with bone meal. Lay the iris on top of mound with the roots going going down the sides of the mound. Add rest of the dirt and gently compact soil. Leave the crown exposed at ground level, if it is buried it will not bloom. Hope this helps, just e mail me if you have any questions.
Reply:It is ok if the roots stick out of the ground. Iris plants


grow very easily and are not hard to care for. You can look


it up on the internet, by just typing Iris...what do they


need to bloom and you will get enough reading for a month.


Type it in search the web. Good luck
Reply:The top part of the Iris bulb should be just above ground level. One can add bone-meal, follow the directions on the bag, to make the Iris' flower more. Make sure the soil is soft,if not, go to your local nursery and get something that breaks up the soil.