Due to their striking beauty and ease of growth, daylilies are a common component of many gardens. You can certainly take the laid-back approach with these perennials, allowing them to do their own thing without any specialized care. However, they will bloom more weakly and die off more quickly if you go this route.
By contrast, you can get far more bang for your buck by providing a bit more specialized care to your daylilies. Follow these easy instructions, and you will enjoy more of these bright, impressive blooms throughout the season.
In early spring… Provide your daylilies with a weed-free compost and a little organic fertilizer. Continue to feed every two to three weeks, with a liquid fertilizer, throughout spring and summer.
In the heat of summer… Check soil moisture, and water your daylilies when needed. They will often go dormant during the hottest part of summer, and won’t look nearly as impressive unless you provide care.
As flowers die… Cut back the stems as low as possible. This helps the plant conserve energy which can be better spent on producing more flowering stems.
When foliage dies… You can cut it out, but the process might be tedious. Another option is to wait until it dries completely, and then you can pull it out with a gentle tug. If all of the foliage is looking tattered, use a string trimmer to cut it back to a few inches tall. Rake out the dead leaves, water, and fertilize. New growth will appear in about one week.
If you’ve planted reblooming daylilies… Make sure to remove dead flowers immediately, to encourage the plant to continue flowering. If you don’t follow this step, your daylilies are unlikely to perform as you expect.
Every four to five years… You will need to divide your daylilies as they become overgrown. We’ve provided instructions on dividing, which you can access in last week’s blog.
As always, please do stop by our nursery if you have any questions about caring for your daylilies. As you can see, these steps are not complicated, but following them each season can help you reap far more enjoyment from your plants.
