Daylilies Are Perennials
By Kathy Rinke

Some Daylilies are dormant with their foliage dying back completely,
others are evergreens, there is also a wide range in between referred
to as semi-evergreen.   They have tuberous, somewhat fleshy roots
and strap or grass-like leaves that arch gracefully making clumps
attractive even when not in bloom.

Clusters of blooms appear at the top of a mostly leafless stem, known
as a scape, which grows above the foliage. Sometimes there is
branching on the scape allowing for multiple blooms each day. The
Daylily bloom itself is only open for one day hence the name
Hemerocallis, “beautiful for a day”.

Modern day hybridizing has allowed Daylilies to come in a wide range
of colors, shapes and sizes, except blue.  Bloom sizes range
from miniature to very large, available in single, double, spider and
unusual forms.

Location, Location, Location .....

Most Daylilies do best in full sun.  They will tolerate part-shade
conditions, but require a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight per
day to bloom at their best.

Daylilies will adapt well to almost any kind of soil and are almost pest
free.  

When to Plant ...

Daylilies can be planted any time after the ground thaws, however it
takes about six weeks for Daylily roots to adjust to a new location so all
plantings and transplanting should be done at least six weeks before
the ground freezes.

If planting a clump, less time is needed as the roots have not been
disturbed.

Planting  Bare-Rooted Daylilies

Bare-Root Daylilies, especially those received through the mail, should
be soaked for a few hours in water.  If you want, you can add a weak
solution of liquid fertilizer.

Dig a hole larger than the root ball, and down at least a foot to loosen
the soil.  Form a mound in the center of the hole. Set the plant in place
with the roots spread on all sides of the mound.  Never plant Daylilies
with the crown (where foliage and roots join) more than 1 inch deep.
Add the soil around the roots firming it as you go. When the hole is
half full with soil, water it very well to insure good soil to root contact,
and then add the remaining soil. Firm the soil again, leaving a slight
depression around the plant to act as a reservoir and water thoroughly
A good mulch of wood chips or leaves will help to preserve the
moisture in the summer, as well as helping to control the weeds.

Planting a Daylily Clump

Nothing could be simpler, simply dig a hole large enough for the clump
to be planted.  Put water in the hole, add the clump and replace the
soil over and around it.  Press firmly around the diameter to be sure to
eliminate any air pockets.  Water well and add mulch if desired.

Dividing Daylilies

As Daylily clumps grow over the years, it will become necessary to
divide and separate the plants. If clumps are allowed to grow too large,
plant performance will suffer and over crowded clumps will have fewer
blooms.  Daylilies can be divided every three to four years. Some
prefer to transplant in early spring, but you can also transplant after
bloom season, when the days grow cooler.

Dig the entire plant up and gently pull the leaf fans apart, with each
division having a minimum of 2 fans. In large clumps it may be
necessary to cut the division with a sharp long blade knife.  A favorite
tool for dividing Daylilies is an old screwdriver.  Stick it into a space
where it looks like it could easily be divided and twist and turn to
loosen a division.

Using a digging fork to dig clumps, makes the job a lot easier on both
the plant and the gardener.

Dan Trimmer has very graciously let us share his article "The Care
and Feeding of Daylilies" on our website.

Thank You Dan.
Click to view or download

"The Care and Feeding of Daylilies"

By Dan Trimmer
Water Mill Gardens
SMDS Banquet Speaker
April 5, 2008