Daylily Information

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Ongoing Care:

Watering:

Daylilies benefit more from deep watering, which reaches 8 to 10 inches into the soil, than from a succession of brief, surface waterings.

Water in the morning.  Afternoon watering may spot or cause the flower to wilt.  Evening watering may also cause spots on the next day's blooms.

Do not overwater, especially if there is poor soil drainage.

Fertilizing:

• A pH reading of 6 to 6.5 is prefered.
• In extremely poor soils, or on light or sandy soils which tend to leach badly, several moderate applications of a good complete fertilizer such as 5-10-10 or 5-10-5 should be applied in the spring or early summer.
• A low nitrogen fertilizer such as 3-12-12 or 4-8-12 should be used in the late summer or early fall period.
• Older, larger clumps should be fertilized more heavily than newer plantings to help depleted soil conditions.

Maintenance:

Mulching generally contributes to better daylilies by improving the soil and helping retain moisture.

Proper sanitation measures lead to healthier daylilies.

• In the spring, dead foliage and debris should be cleared away from around your daylilies.
• During the growing season, damaged or diseased foliage should be removed.
• At the end of the bloom season, cut off the bloom scapes to within a few inches of the ground unless you are hybridizing.