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Daylilies
An ad seen regularly in gardening magazines assures rookie gardeners that, even if they can’t grow any other plant, they’re sure to have success with daylilies. While it’s true that daylilies are some of the toughest of plants, they’ll be much better performers if they’re given some basic good care.
Why are they called daylilies? Because each flower opens in the morning and closes at sunset. This doesn’t sound very long but, fortunately, the buds cluster together on top of the stems and, as each individual bloom finishes, another one unfolds. An established daylily clump can produce up to 400 blooms over one spring, summer and autumn season.
Daylilies do best in a sunny spot with moist, well-drained soil. They’ll survive, but always look a bit miserable, in dry conditions so it’s best to try and provide some extra moisture. Think , for example, about digging some Rainsaver Water Crystals into the soil before planting. The stored moisture in the crystals will help get the plants through dry periods.
Because daylilies come originally from a wide area covering parts of Europe and Asia, they’re adaptable to a range of climates. Some of them are evergreen while others are deciduous, which means they lose their leaves completely in winter. When you’re buying plants always check if they’re deciduous or evergreen. It can be unnerving if the plant disappears at the first sign of cold weather.
Daylily blooms come mostly in shades of yellow, orange, pink, maroon and red, some with bicoloured flowers that provide extra contrast. One little known fact about daylilies is that they’re edible (they’re often sold in Chinese markets). One of the easiest ways to experiment with eating the blooms is by picking them in the bud stage and tossing them into stir- fries or soups. They have a nutty flavour and a faintly mucilaginous quality.
Caring for daylilies
- Prepare the soil before planting by digging in compost or well-aged manure. As already suggested, in dry areas add some water-storage crystals.
- Feed regularly as the plants are growing with Dynamic Lifter for Roses or Yates Acticote long-lasting plant food.
- Watch for snails and slugs. These pests love the cool vertical leaves and will use them as hiding places from which they’ll venture out to chew on the buds and flowers. Sprinkle some Baysol or Blitzem pellets into the clumps and check regularly after rainy periods.
- Aphids and mealybugs are other pests that attack new growth. An occasional spray with Confidor will take care of them.
- Don’t let the flowers develop seedpods. They’ll take energy from the plant and reduce the flowering for next year.
- Divide clumps in early spring. Cut back the leaves and replant rooted sections into prepared soil. Don’t plant too deeply and don’t be surprised if the new plant doesn’t flower for a year or two. It will be too busy growing!
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Louise
Yates site member
10:21, 07 March 2010
I have allot of daylillies that I would like to divide, can it be done at this time of the year?
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