Daylilies are easy-to-care-for perennials that can enhance any landscape.
They come in various colors and range in size from one foot to 6 feet, though most are from 18 inches to 36 inches. They have a tuberous root system and can be either deciduous or evergreen.
Daylilies can be used in clumps, mass plantings for flower bed borders, ground covers, or containers. Their lily-like blossoms are excellent as cut flowers.
Daylilies should be cut in the morning when the bloom is fully opened; stems with multiple buds should be cut when buds are well-developed. Numerous buds will open one per day. The previous day’s blossoms should be cut off daily.
Tip: After being cut, daylilies should be refrigerated for about an hour with their stems in water to make them last longer.
Planting Daylilies
Daylilies prefer a medium heavy, slightly acidic to neutral soil with adequate drainage. An alkaline soil may cause foliage to turn yellow. Soil mix is an excellent addition to existing beds.
Mulch with a thin layer of bark mulch. After planting, water in with a root stimulator solution according to label directions. When choosing your location, remember that most daylilies will perform best in full sun; however, full sun tends to fade dark blooms.
Watering Daylilies
Established daylilies don’t need watering unless a dry period occurs before or during flowering, when excessive dryness may cause buds to drop. Be sure to keep newly planted daylilies moist at all times.
Feeding Daylilies
Feed established daylilies with blooming plant fertilizer, 3-9-12. Excessive nitrogen may cause yellowing of the leaves and reduce the brilliance of red and pink varieties. Daylilies should be fed lightly at two to four-week intervals from mid-March through mid-June and again in mid-September.
Be sure to water when feeding if weather conditions are dry and warm. Daylilies respond well to bone meal, which should be applied every spring at 5 lbs per 100 sq ft of bed area.
Insects & Diseases
Thrips present the most serious threat to daylilies, causing distorted and discolored flowers. Spraying with pesticides according to label recommendations should control this problem.
General Care
Once established, daylilies are easy to maintain. Large clumps can be divided in late fall to early spring (remove any dead foliage and cultivate shallowly between plants to prevent weed growth).