Daylily plants, choosing, buying, planting

Daylilies are propagated by division of clumps. Daylilies are strong and durable plants. Clumps should be selected from those plants which are 3-4 years. If clumps are taken from only one year old plants, they will produce only foliage & no flowers. Each clump should have at least one visible bud and one to three roots. Clumps should be free from any external injury and bruises.

Click here to browse Daylily flower bulbs at BloomingBulb.com


Planting Daylilies: While planting Daylily one must take care of its two important parts i.e. its roots and its crown (stem).The crown is a solid white core which produces leaves and scape from its upper surface and roots from its sides and bottom.

Soil should be well prepared before planting. The ground is dug up to 30-45cm.deep for growing Daylilies. The soil should be loosened mixed well with compost, well-rotted manure. Generally clumps are planted 18-24 in. (30cms) apart so that roots can spread out properly. It is planted in such a way that the crown is one inch deep in the soil. When the hole is half filled with soil, it is pressed firm and watered thoroughly so that roots and soil bind together. The remaining soil is then added and pressed firm with hand (not feet) followed by watering. For pot planting well drained mixture containing loam and well rotten farm yard manure is prepared and pot should be thoroughly washed prior to planting. The plant is grown in a cool and protected area.

Moisture is essential for sprouting of clumps, growth of plant and good flowering in Daylilies. Irrigation varies with size of plant, type of soil and season. Frequent watering in dry weather or sandy soil helps to keep the soil moist. Thorough watering is very important before plantation; however it should not be watered much until root formation begins as it may damage the fleshy underground stems and cause rotting of the tubers.

The best time to plant Daylily is spring or autumn (September). With proper care Daylilies can bloom in succession for 6-8 weeks in early to mid-summer. Although one flower opens only for a day, there are many flower buds per stalk and many stalks in each clump of the plants, hence the flowering period extends up to several weeks.

There are two best ways to increase the bloom season of Daylilies. The first is by planting the right mix of early, mid or late cultivars. By doing this the blooms can be extended from April-may up to June or even July. The second way is by providing Daylily plants the shade that they require. If some plants are provided a little shade they will bloom 2-3 weeks latter than those which are kept in full sun.

Some Daylilies bloom very early while some are late blooming cultivars. Some are remonant or reblooming Daylilies which either flower early (May-June) and repeat in autumn or flower in quick succession of bloom period for several months. Repeat blooming is affected by geographical and climatic conditions and sufficient moisture. Removing old flower scape gives a better view to the new flush of flowers and promotes rebloom.