Where to plant
Q - Should I plant my daylilies in full sun?
Daylilies grow best when planted in full sun to partial shade. In
areas that receive less than 6 hours of sun during the day, your
daylilies will probably produce fewer and smaller blooms, and the
foliage may not be as robust. Here in the deep south, daylilies
appreciate having some afternoon shade because of the hot sun.
I have obtained excellent results by planting in the
filtered sunlight under very tall pine trees.
Q - Are there any soil requirements that I should be aware of?
Daylilies will grow in a fairly wide PH range but best results will
be obtained if your soil is either neutral or slightly acid.
Daylilies will grow in most soil types, but like any other plant,
they prefer a soil that is neither too hard or too sandy. Your
best bet, especially if you have either a very sandy or hard clay
soil, is to add humus when you prepare the soil for planting.
One of my favorite forms of humus is composted manure but any
good compost will do.
Q - I have a low spot in the yard that collects water after a hard
rain. can I grow daylilies there?
Be sure the place you want to plant has good drainage. If you think
you may have a drainage problem, dig a hole about a foot deep and
fill it with water. If the water has not drained from the hole after
12 hours, you should probably find another place for your daylilies
or build a raised bed filled with good garden soil.
Q - Is there anything else I should watch out for when deciding where
to plant my daylilies?
Areas where the daylily roots will have to compete with the roots
of larger plants such as shrubs and trees should also be avoided.
The primary problem is that some trees and shrubs have root systems
that will quickly take up all the moisture and nutrients. Daylilies
are not very agressive and can't complete with these trees and
shrubs.
WHEN TO PLANT
Q - When is the best time to plant daylilies in southern climates?
In the deep south where we have very hot summers and mild winters,
the best time to plant is in the fall after the heat of the summer
subsides. Because the ground does not freeze, the daylilies will
continue growing all winter and be well established before the heat
of the summer arrives. If planted here too late in the spring, the daylily
may not have had enough time to get completely established and may
suffer from the summer heat.
Q - What is the best time to plant in northern climates?
In the north, the summers are neither as hot nor as long as in the
south so planting in the spring is recommended. If planted too
late in the fall, the ground will freeze before the daylily has a
chance to become fully established, reducing its chances of
survival.
Q - What if I live somewhere in between?
I would not plant daylilies less than 60 days before the first hard
freeze or 60 days before daytime temperatures consistently reach
the 90's. The exception to this would be transplanting container grown
daylilies which can be planted at any time of the year that the
ground can be worked as long as you do not disturb the root ball
when planting.
HOW TO PLANT
Q - How should I prepare the soil prior to planting?
You should prepare the soil by digging to a depth of at least 12 inches (18" would be better).
The soil should be loose and any amendments should be well mixed in.
One of my favorite tricks is to place a shovel of composted manure in the
bottom of the planting hole and cover with a few inches of soil. The daylily planted on top will
eventually send its roots down to reach the nutrients. I believe
this also encourages the roots to grow deep rather than shallow,
an advantage here in the hot south.
Q - Should I prune the daylily before planting?
Yes. Trim the foliage to a length of 6-8 inches. This will help the
plant compensate for water loss while it's re-establishing itself.
The roots can also be trimmed to 6-8 inches in length to make it easier to plant however there are varying opinions as to whether or not this is beneficial.
One side of the arguement says that 'root pruning' as it's called, will encourage the plant to send out new roots while the other side believes that because the plant's
reserves are held in its roots, trimming some off only reduces the amount of reserve energy the plant has available while re-establishing itself.
Personally, I only root prune when the roots are extremely long.
Q - How deep should I set the plants?
Plant the daylily with its roots spread out so that the crown is
about one inch deep in the soil (the crown is the area of the plant
where the roots all come together). In the north, planting a little deeper is recommended but daylilies planted too deep will not grow properly.
Q - How far apart should I space my daylilies?
Daylilies can be planted as single plants when you are doing a
mass planting, or in groups of 2 or 3 together which form clumps.
When I plant single plants, I space them about 12 inches
apart while I space the groups 18-24 inches apart. Because
daylilies multiply, planting any closer together will result in
them needing to be divided sooner and I don't like to create any
unnecessary work for myself. Some plants tend to be more robust
than others. These should be given extra room.
CARING FOR YOUR DAYLILIES
Q - How much water do daylilies require?
Probably the most important ingredient in beautiful daylilies is
water. While daylilies can withstand drought because of their
fleshy roots, I find it amazing the difference I get when they
get all the water they need. This was brought to my attention some
years ago when our daylily club was touring gardens in Louisiana.
In several of the gardens, we were enjoying some of the best blooms
we had ever seen on some varieties we were familiar with and
commented that we just had to find out what kind of fertilizer the
grower was using to produce these spectacular blooms. When asked,
we were told that he just used a regular fertilizer and applied it
only once and sparingly at that. Asked how he produced such blooms
with only a little fertilizer, he said it was a very wet spring
and every time the spring was wet, he had the same results -
spectacular blooms.
So give them plenty of water, at least 1 inch a week. Do not over water
however, as daylilies do not like to have their roots immersed in
water for extended periods of time. Give the soil a chance to
drain well before you water again. Here in the south, I begin to cut
back on the watering once I have harvested my seeds. Beginning
in mid July I only water once every 5 days or so. While daylilies like lots of
water, keeping the soil wet when the temperatures are high for a lengthy period of time will
encourage fungal and bacterial rots which can sometimes kill a daylily.
Q - Should I fertilize my daylilies?
Fertilizer is important for healthy daylilies. Proper feeding will
result in more and larger blooms and the plants will be more
vigorous. In 1995 (a year where I had a good fertilization program)
I compared the number of blooms per scape on some plants with the
number of blooms from the same plants the previous year (without
fertilizer). A few varieties showed very little increase, but the
majority increased significantly. The biggest increase was almost
2.5 times the number of blooms as the previous year.
Q - How often should I fertilize?
If you're using chemical fertilizer, I recommend that daylilies be fertilized at least twice a year.
The first application should be in the early spring when the daylilies begin their spring
growth. In the south, the second application should be in the fall once the temperatures start
to cool off. Further north the second application should be after the peak bloom season. It is not
recommended to fertilize too close to your average first frost date.
Q - What kind of fertilizer should I use?
I highly recommend that you have your soil
analyzed and let the experts tell you what your soil needs. Most states
have a program where you can submit samples for analysis.
Once you have determined what your soil needs, then you can develop
an effective fertilization program. Personally, I prefer the organic
approach using soil ammendments like animal poop and the like. I have
tried both and found that while non-organic methods seem to produce better
results on the short term, over the long term, the organic method wins hands down.
See my Soil Health page for more info.
If you decide to go with the chemical approach, you should still rely
on the soil analysis to tell you what your soil needs to avoid problems.
For example, too much phosphorus over time can build up in your soil and actually harm your plants.
If you can't find a place to analyze your soil, I would use a balanced fertilizer
such as 13-13-13 applied in moderation or
the Hooker Formula (see separate page).
Q - Should I mulch my daylilies?
Daylilies will benefit from mulching. Mulch helps maintain a more
consistent soil temperature and also help retain moisture.
Q - Are daylilies bothered by insect pests?
Unfortunately, daylilies are not quite as pest and disease free as
many nurseries would lead you to believe (almost, but not quite).
Pests which will sometime infect daylilies include aphids,
spider mites, thrips, slugs, and snails. If you find that you
need to spray your daylilies you should use something that has
been rated for use on daylilies or you know for sure will not harm
the plants. I know of a new daylily grower who sprayed all his
plants with kelthane for spider mites. Kelthane (no longer available) is harmful
to daylilies. He didn't kill his daylilies, but that year he
didn't have very many blooms. If I want to try something new that
is not rated for use on daylilies, I will try it first on a single
plant (I keep a few plants growing in pots just for this purpose).
I use a stronger solution than is recommended and use repeated
applications over several months. If the insecticide passes this
test, then I feel comfortable using it on the rest of my plants.
Q - What about diseases?
Daylilies are affected by a few disease problems.
- Crown rot is a daylily disease that affects daylilies in climates with long hot
summers like here in the Houston area. Excess watering during the
summer months can increase the number of plants that die from crown rot.
- Daylily Rust is a fungal disease that affects daylilies. It was first detected in this country in 2000.
It does not normally kill a daylily but makes the foliage look unattractive. It doesn't seem
to overwinter in northern climates but can appear on newly planted daylilies
received from the south.
- Leaf Streak is yet another foliage disease that makes the foliage unattractive
but does not kill the daylily plant. The disease is thought to reside in the
soil and overhead watering (including rain) will spread the disease.
DIVIDING DAYLILIES
Q - How do I know when my daylilies need to be divided?
Daylilies multiply by individual plants dividing and by sending
up new fans right next to the old fans. If your daylilies have
formed a large clump (lots of fans clumped tightly together)
and the blooms are smaller or fewer in number than the previous
year, you probably need to divide your daylilies.
Q - What's the best time to divide them?
That depends on your climate. In general, the fall is considered the
best time to divide but spring is also a good time except in the deep
south. Dividing can be done in the spring when the ground can be worked
and the daylilies are actively growing but you run the risk of reducing
the number of blooms you will get. In the fall after they finish blooming
is considered better as long as they have enough time get established
before winter sets in. A rule of thumb is to give them at least 6 weeks
before the first frost to get established. The following table will give
you an idea based on your climate zone:
| Zone |
Spring |
Fall |
| 4 | May | August |
| 5 | May | August |
| 6 | April-May | August-September |
| 7 | April | September-Mid October |
| 8 | February-March | September-October |
| 8 (Pacific Northwest) | April-May | August-September |
| 9 | January-February | October-December |
Q - How do I divide them?
Dig up the entire clump and shake off the dirt. A garden fork works
well for this. Separate the plants by either pulling them apart or
cutting into individual plants with scissors or knife. When cutting
apart a large root with more than one fan growing out of it, try
and include an equal amount of root with each fan.
Q - Can I plant the divisions right away?
Yes, I usually do. However, it is recommended that you wait at least
long enough for the any cut areas to dry before planting.
Q - So, what do I do with the extra daylily plants?
Give them to your friends, give them to your neighbors, or give them
away at work. Daylilies are becoming so popular that I'm sure they'll
be appreciated.
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