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Growing and Planting Daylilies
Growing and Planting Daylilies
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Tips for Planting and Dividing
Daylilies.
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1. Loosen soil approximately one
foot below ground level.
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2. Fashion a cone shape slightly below
ground level.
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3. Spread the roots over the cone, then
cover with about 1" of soil.
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4. Root bound Daylilies should be
dug out of the ground and separated into individual clumps .
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5. Separate carefully by hand or
use a sharp knife.
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| Daylily Culture
Daylilies have the reputation for being tough, adaptable, vigorous plants
that can withstand droughts and require less care than other perennials.
Daylilies have now become the most popular perennial; their reputation is
well deserved. Your new plants will grow
and bloom for many years with no special care whatever. In fact,
accomplished gardeners will recognize the cultural procedures given here
apply generally to most perennials. However, if you are a daylily fanatic
and want to see the best growth and bloom possible, pay additional attention
to their cultural needs.
Daylilies have traditionally been known to have
dormant, semi-evergreen or evergreen foliage. Daylilies can adapt to most
sites provided they have at least six hours of direct sunlight a day to
perform satisfactorily. If using them in a partially shaded environment they
require a minimum of two hours of direct sunlight to perform well.
Extending bloom season tip. When they are given a little shade they seem
to bloom about two or three weeks latter than the ones in full sun this is a
trick to have a longer bloom period. Now plant some in part shade and some
in full sun, you have now increased your bloom period by three weeks. They
are not very fussy about soil, but a well-drained loam is best. Mix some
peat moss or compost into heavy or compacted soil at planting time horse
manure is a good thing to add as it does not have to be composted, it also
loosens heavy clay soil. The easiest way to assess your soil fertility and
condition is to have a soil test performed. Soil test results give the right
recommendations for fertilizer, compost, mulch and PH adjustment. Aside from
the soil test recommendations, there are only a few special procedures
daylilies need for your culture to be perfect. The PH or acidity of the soil
should be adjusted to about 6.5 or at least be in the range of 6.2 to 6.8.
Since Daylilies also like somewhat large amounts of organic matter in the
soil. add about five inches of compost (of any source or kind) tilled into
the top eight to ten inches. |
| Setting out new plants
you do not have to give them as much water the first month as they are
sending out new feeder roots but they do need to be watered. After the first
month Daylilies prefer regular watering. An inch a week applied in two
watering is perfect. Planting. Daylilies should be planted no closer than
two to two and half feet apart except for miniatures which can be planted as
close as twelve to eighteen inches. Newly purchased daylily plants should be
planted as soon as is reasonable. Soak them a few hours (or overnight) in a
bucket of water with rooting hormone (or starter solution or bio-stimulant).
A organic method we use is chop some willow branches cut up in one inch
lengths and soak the willow pieces in the water for a day or two then remove
the willow branches and soak the plant roots This helps them develop new
roots quickly and often helps spring plantings bloom the same year. After
the soil is prepared, the soil should be mounded slightly about an inch.
This is for rainwater drainage away from the crown. A hole large enough to
accommodate the root mass should then be dug into the center of the mound.
The crown of the plant (where the leaves and roots meet) should be planted
no more than one inch below the soil surface. Cover the roots with soil and
water the plant completely. |
| Diseases Daylilies do
not generally have serious disease and pest problems. The few diseases they
do have can be easily controlled by proper culture. Always pull summer mulch
away from the crown at least an inch in early spring and again in late fall
to prevent bacterial and fungal infection of the crown when sudden freezes
damage the daylily foliage and crown. Freezing plus soil born fungal and
bacteria diseases cause "spring sickness" in daylilies and are difficult to
treat effectively except by proper culture. If chemical treatment is
necessary, use a soil drench fungicide labeled for ornamentals. It should be
applied twice about ten days apart. Some serious growers use a soil drench
fungicide applied in late fall as a preventative. Fungal diseases causing
spots on the leaves can be (but do not generally need to be) treated with a
fungicide labeled for ornamentals and leaf spot fungi. Watering your plants
early in the day when it is humid will prevent leaf spot fungi. Daylily Rust
is a new disease to daylilies. Rust can be identified by capsule like
growths on the leaves, when touched it will spread a rusty substance on your
hand. Controlling rust there are a number of chemicals at garden
centers to kill or control it. Daconil one of the many fungicides that can
be used to kill rust. Be sure to read the label and make sure it is safe to
use on Daylilies. NOTE! We are only offering suggestions on
chemicals people have used. Ask your
county agriculture extension agent for the best chemicals for your area if
any. |
| Pests This may
include aphids, thrips and spider mites. They are rarely a problem. If they
are, organic or chemical sprays labeled for the particular pest and
ornamentals will control them. NOTE! We are only offering suggestions on
chemicals people have used. Ask your
county agriculture extension agent for the best chemicals for your area if
any. |
| Mulches and Weed Control
. Any mulch used for perennials can also be used with Daylilies. Mulch
shades and cools the soil, helps prevent weeds from germinating and composts
in place providing organic matter to the soil. Remember to pull any mulch away
from the crown of the plant at least an inch in early spring and again in
the fall. |
| Dividing and
Transplanting. Daylily clumps should be dug out of the ground and
divided every three to five years. Over grown clumps may not bloom and grow
as well. Fall is the best time to divide in the south. Spring is the best
time to dig and divide in the north since survival will be better. However
replanting in the north in Fall is ok anytime up to 6 weeks before the first
frost is
acceptable. Clumps can be divided by washing all the soil from
the roots and pulling two, three and four fan divisions off the clump. After
washing, let the divisions dry in the shade for several hours or overnight.
This lets the cut surfaces heal and prevents fungal and bacterial infections.
Replant the divisions as described above and always add two scoop shovels of
compost for each replanted division. Remember to keep all divisions labeled
with the correct cultivar name. Give the extra divisions to deserving
friends. |
Over wintering. most
cultivars are as "hardy as a rock" and do not need winter mulch. However,
even the "hardy as a rock" cultivars will grow and bloom better when given
over wintering care. The first step in over wintering is to make sure all
summer mulch is pulled away from the plant crowns at least an inch. This is
advisable for all perennials. Do not remove the old dead daylily foliage in
late fall unless you see 1/4" black fungal spots (called sclerotia). The
black spots are the over wintering stages for leaf spot fungi. The old
daylily foliage helps hold the winter mulch or snow in the north for winter.
mulching for winter All daylilies and most perennials should be covered with
two to six inches of straw, hay or hardwood leaves depending on where you
live. Never use softwood leaves for winter mulch as they mat down on your
perennials and killing many of them. If you have ever seen evidence of mice
or voles, poison mouse bait scattered under the winter mulch is advisable.
Winter mulch should remain in place from the time the ground begins to
freeze all through winter until the middle of April in the north in the
south you may remove about mid to late February. Then the mulch and old
daylily foliage can be removed. Because spring can be early or late from one
year to the next, a good rule of thumb is to wait until the soft maples and
elms are in bloom before removing winter mulch in the spring. If winter
mulch is removed early and a severe cold snap freezes new foliage, wait
until it thaws and remove the injured leaves with a scissors. Newly
purchased and newly divided daylilies should be covered with ten to twelve
inches of winter mulch their first winter in the north. Winter mulch
definitely helps perennials survive winter. This is due to four factors.
First, extra organic matter is added to the soil. Second, the winter mulch
insulates plants from extremely cold winter temperatures. Third, winter
mulch insulates plants from a warm January thaw. January thaws can warm the
soil enough for plants to come out of dormancy and begin to grow. They are
severely damaged when cold temperatures return. This is what kills many
otherwise hardy perennials in the Midwest. Mid-winter thaws can also heave
new plants out of the ground. Fourth, there is some evidence that perennials
continue to develop new roots between the time the foliage turns brown and
the ground freezes solid. This is certainly true for daylilies. Winter mulch
extends the time before a solid freeze. Additional Information. Additional
information can be found in the texts dedicated to daylilies and your local
or state daylily society.
Plant Lovers
Beware, once you are exposed to the incredible world of modern
daylilies, you will become obsessed with them. |
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