Thanks to their toughness and beauty, daylilies have been some of the most popular flowers in North American gardens for centuries.
Although the ubiquitous orange “ditch lily” (Hemerocallis fulva) found along roadsides and on old homesteads happily thrives throughout our landscape, it originally came from Asia in the 1700s and made its way across the continent with waves of European settlers.
Over time the “wild” orange daylily and its yellow-blooming cousin, H. lilioasphodelus, not only spread into the wild landscape but became the parent stock from which the thousands of ornamental daylily varieties now sold in garden centers were developed.
Daylilies are not related to true lilies, even though their flowers may appear to resemble them. True lilies (Lilium species) produce a single thick stalk with strap-like leaves spiraling up from the base and a panicle of flowers at the top.
Daylilies (Hemerocallis species) have tuberous roots that grow into clumps of grassy foliage and produce multiple smooth flower stalks (scapes).
Daylilies generally bloom from four to six weeks in early to mid-summer, and some of the newer cultivars rebloom until frost.
Even though they are some of the most easygoing plants in the garden, some annual spring maintenance will help you get the most out of your daylilies.
Remove Last Year’s Foliage To Improve Air Circulation
Last year’s leaves are brown and lying flat on the ground by springtime. While removing the old foliage is not entirely necessary, doing so can be helpful in a few ways.
Cleaning up the old debris makes the bed appear neat, but more importantly, it eliminates some of the hiding places for slugs and snails that might decide to dine on the new growth as it appears.
Removing the dead material also improves air circulation around the root zone, which can be helpful in especially wet seasons or low-lying garden beds where plant disease spores could otherwise spread.
Fertilize Daylilies In Spring For Balanced Healthy Growth
In soils with average fertility, daylilies survive without fertilizer. However, timely feeding in the spring promotes lush green foliage and abundant flowers. Always remember that, with fertilizer, enough is enough, and a little more can cause problems. For best results, follow the guidance provided by a soil test kit or professional lab test results.
Without soil test results, it is safe to feed daylilies a balanced slow-release or organic fertilizer soon after the new foliage emerges in spring. I always recommend using a seaweed fertilizer for a natural slow-release soil boost. It can be used as a liquid fertilizer for a quick boost, but for long term plant health and soil improvement, use this kelp meal fertilizer.
Mulch Daylilies To Suppress Weeds And Retain Moisture
Daylilies survive some of the harshest conditions by storing moisture and nutrients in their thick tuberous roots, but that’s no reason to let them languish without help.
Applying a 2 to 3-inch layer of mulch in spring smothers weed seeds and helps to keep the soil cool and moist throughout the summer. And as the mulch decays, worms and other soil-dwellers carry the organic matter down to the root zone, contributing to a healthier ecosystem.
Aged wood chips, compost, pine straw, shredded leaves, and most other popular mulching materials work well for daylilies.
One Daylily Job You Shouldn’t Do In Spring…
Don’t Divide Daylilies In Spring
Dividing daylilies every five years is a great way to keep the plants blooming vigorously. Dividing large plants also keeps the garden from becoming congested and can be a source of “new” plants for other areas in the yard.
Due to the timing of flower bud formation, spring is not a good time to divide daylilies.
Instead, plan to divide or transplant after the plants have finished flowering – normally late summer or fall. In most temperate areas, fall divisions still have plenty of time to settle in and store nutrients they’ll need to get through winter and wake up strong next spring.
To divide a daylily, use a spade or garden fork to dig it out of the ground with as many feeder roots as possible. Gently remove excess soil from the root mass. Tease out the foliage to see the source of each stem where it generates from the roots. Use a garden spade or sharp knife to cut the root mass into equal-sized clumps with about 5 stems each. Use sharp scissors to cut the foliage back to about 6 inches tall. Replant the divisions at the same depth they originally grew, or pot them up to share or plant later.