How to grow and care for Daylilies

Daylilies are very reliable, low maintenance plants that will provide color to your garden for many seasons. They are the ideal perennial for your garden because they are available in a variety of colors, and they thrive in our Zone 5, often under less-than-ideal conditions.

Their botanical name, Hemerocallis, means "beauty for a day"—fitting, since each bloom opens in the morning and fades by nightfall.  

The good news is, each flower stem (called a scape) has multiple flower buds, so the plant typically stays in bloom for about 3 to 4 weeks.  Some cultivars, like the popular 'Stella de Oro' are rebloomers, meaning they flower in waves from late spring through fall.

Daylilies are easy to grow and don't require a lot of maintenance. Daylilies are very adaptable to a wide variety of soils and conditions. It's one of the features that make them popular landscape plants. You'll find them planted along streets and sidewalks, often under rock mulch, blooming away. In your garden, you'll get the best from your daylilies if you take the time to prepare the planting site soil properly. 

 

Begin by preparing the planting site. This includes digging the planting hole twice as wide and once again as deep as the container the new plant is potted in.  

 

Plan to amend the planting site with organic materials at the rate of fifty percent existing soil and fifty percent organic material. Once the planting hole is dug and amended, fill it with water and make sure it drains. If the water tends to pool at the bottom, add more organic material.  

Next, incorporate a mycorrhizal inoculant into the soil.  Mycorrhizae are beneficial soil fungi that form a relationship with plant roots. They help roots grow faster and bigger. This increased size improves water and nutrient uptake.  Mycorrhizal inoculants are available as single products or incorporated into a fertilizer such as Happy Frog Steamed Bone Meal.  

 

Plan to plant in the evening, after sundown. This will give the new plant time to begin acclimating to being in the ground without the stress of direct sunlight and high temperatures. 

 

Space your daylily plants 12" to 18' apart, so there will be plenty of room to grow. 

 

Fertilize daylilies every 3-4 weeks during the growing season, using a fertilizer that emphasizes blooming, such as 5-8-4 or 11-15-11. Avoid fertilizing during extremely hot days. Besides watering and monthly feeding during the growing season, daylilies don't require much maintenance, other than to cut back the flower stalks once they are done blooming.  

Plan to divide daylilies every 4 to 5 years. You'll know it's time to divide them if they don't bloom as well as they used to, and the plants look overcrowded.  Fall is a really good time to divide daylilies. Once replanted, they will have all fall to re-establish. Use a garden fork to dig up each clump, then divide them and replant.  

 

How to Care for Your Garden When It’s Hot

  

Gardening during hot weather can be challenging for you as well as your crops. As a gardener, self-care is always important, especially when temperatures soar. Some ways to accomplish this are by choosing lightweight, light-colored clothing, taking frequent breaks, and staying hydrated.  Wearing sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat, and tying a wet bandana around your neck also helps. In addition, break your chores down into small tasks 20 to 30 minutes long and work in the garden in the early morning, when it’s cooler. Now’s the time to remember that a well-cared for garden depends on a well-cared for gardener.  

As for your plants, here are some things you can do to help your garden thrive even during high heat.   

Make sure your plants get enough water.  Water regularly and deeply, avoiding overhead watering. Water early in the morning and water each plant deeply to ensure they receive enough hydration. Extreme temperatures can impair their ability to take up water through their roots, so consistent watering is crucial. The ideal time to water is in the cool hours of the early morning.

When you do water, avoid overhead sprinkling. Soak the soil at the base of the plant. This allows the water to penetrate deeply into the soil and reach the roots, giving your crops a proper drink before temperatures increase.    

If early morning watering is not feasible, the next best option is to water in the late evening.  

Add mulch. Mulch improves moisture retention and helps keep the weeds down.  Apply a layer of organic mulch around the base of your plants. Soil Pep is a good choice for your vegetable garden, because you can use it as a soil conditioner after the season is over.  Keep it 2 to 3 inches thick and maintain a few inches of space between the mulch and base of the plant. This will create a moat effect for catching water.  

 

Make your own shade. When it comes to extreme heat, the most important observation is when and where the harsh afternoon sun hits the hardest. Tomatoes and other sun-loving plants will benefit from some late afternoon shade.

Shade cloth or netting can help your plants a lot in hot weather by protecting them from both the heat and the sun. Shade cloth is easy to set up and remove, helping your plants stay cooler. 

  

Make sure your plants get the right nutrients. Fertilize with an organic fertilizer such as 7-4-5. Avoid high nitrogen fertilizers. Tomatoes and vegetables need more phosphate for roots and blooms, not vegetation growth. Fertilize in the evening on well-hydrated plants.   

 

Keep the weeds under control. Weeds are competition for water and soil nutrients, so keeping them under control will help your garden plants absorb the most water and nutrients they can get from the soil.   

Don’t forget your plants growing in pots and hanging baskets. They’re going to need more water as temperatures rise.