David Daehnke, The Gardening Guru

Mahwah, NJ 07430
gardeningguru@juno.com

Daylily Maintenance and Care

Potting: Timing: Pot within 2-3 days of receipt, keeping plants cool and dry until planted. If the plants are extremely dry, you may soak them in water for 4-6 hours on the day you will pot them. Without proper refrigerated storage you may lose significant growth for every day the bare roots go unplanted.

Season: Ideal planting time is Spring or Fall: Spring planting is optimum in Northern states and Fall planting in the South. For Spring planting in the warmer zones, plant as early as possible so that plants become well-established before hot weather.

Soil: Most commercial soil mixes are adequate as daylilies are tolerant of soil mix as well as pH variation. Ideal pH for daylilies is 6.8.

Light:Full sun is recommended, with a minimum of 6 hours needed. Dark-colored cultivars usually hold their color better with afternoon shade.

Water: Soak thoroughly after potting, keep well watered for 30 days, and maintain a good watering routine. The color and material of the container, as well as the soil mix and air temperature, can influence the need for water.

Fertilizer: Best quality and rebloom come from a consistent supply of water and nutrients. Controlled release fertilizer in the potting mix or fertilizer in the irrigation water are optimal. Do not add supplemental dry fertilizer for 4-6 weeks after planting, or in hot weather. Generally fertilizers with a balanced analysis (or in containers, a slightly higher nitrogen content) are best.

Bloom Staging: The All-American winners do not all bloom at the same time. Though as field growers we have no container experience with staging, some container growers report having had success using "Bonzi" o