Daylilies are one of the most popular flowers with gardeners, and for good reason! They add more than a touch of beauty to their surroundings and are very easy to care for.
These perennials flower in the warmer summer months and are hardy. They don’t require much watering and are resistant to both frost and drought.
If you are thinking of planting daylilies in your garden, take a look at when, where and how to plant these gorgeous flowers.
What Is A Daylily?
Daylilies are perhaps the most carefree of all flowering perennials. They grow quickly and live for some time. Despite its name, it is not in fact a true type of lily. This striking flower can thrive in almost any kind of soil and can grow in sun or shade. They are very rarely plagued by insect pests and aren’t susceptible to many kinds of disease.
Daylilies are also renowned for their toughness but at the same time, brighten up any garden with their colourful, dainty blooms. Daylily plants begin blooming in the mid months of summer and will continue to bloom into the early months of autumn.
How To Grow Daylily
As mentioned, daylilies are very easy to grow and care for. Take a closer look at when, where and how to plant these flowers so that they can thrive.
When to plant daylily
Daylilies are best planted in the early months of spring as this gives them plenty of time to establish themselves before blooming for the rest of the season.
Where to plant daylily
While daylilies can bloom even in very hostile environments, they are best planted in areas that receive at least six hours of full sunlight every day. For flowers that are darker cultivars, afternoon sun will help them retain their colour for longer.
How to plant daylily
Before planting your daylilies, enrich the soil with compost. Space each plant between 12 and 18 inches apart and make sure that you plant the flowers so the crown reaches approximately one inch below the surface of the soil.
Once planted, water the area well and keep the ground moist by mulching around the base of the plant with bark or straw. This will also help prevent any weeds from growing.
While daylilies are resilient and easy to care for, young plants should be kept free of weeds and should be well watered within their first year.
How to Care for Daylily
Daylilies are one of the easiest plants to care for. By following a few easy steps, you can ensure your plants thrive and bloom to the best of their ability.
Fertiliser
If the soil in which you planted your daylilies is rich in organic materials, there is no need for fertiliser. With average garden soil, apply a complete fertiliser in the springtime and add a second application in the later summer or beginning of autumn.
If you wish to avoid using commercial fertiliser on your daylilies, you can use organic compost instead. Simply sprinkle it on to the surface of the soil and then work it in.
Pests And Diseases
Pests and diseases are generally not too much of an issue when it comes to daylilies. However, some things to look out for include:
Leaf streak
You can manage leaf streak by separating any infected daylilies from the healthy parts of the flower. Remove all dead foliage from around the base of the plant and dispose of any clippings to prevent the fungal pathogen that causes leaf streak.
Rust
Inspect your daylily plants regularly for rust. If you suspect your plant has rust, wipe the lower leaf surface with a white tissue. The spores of the rust will rub off and leave an orange-yellowish stain. You can avoid rust by ensuring the plant is not over-irrigated.
Aphids
These soft-bodied insects vary in colour from yellow-green to almost black. Typically, they are found during cooler weather in the springtime. They are able to reproduce quickly. Aphids can be brought under control by the use of a gentle insecticide. This also has the benefit of eliminating any other predators.
How to Care For Daylily In Winter
To truly prosper, daylilies need to rest in the winter months. The foliage on dormant daylilies will decline quickly at the first autumn freeze. As they go dormant, their buds tend to rest just below the surface and their compact structure is able to protect them from dehydration and winter ice.
Daylilies lose all of their foliage above the soil until the next spring, when they emerge from the ground in spear-like shoots.
When your dormant daylilies turn brown in autumn, be sure to pull off any dead foliage and cut the remaining leaves to within a few inches of the ground with pruning shears. Alternatively, you can leave the foliage in place until springtime, when you can simply just pull it away from the plant’s crown.
Do daylilies come back every year?
Daylilies are perennial blooms, which means that they come back every year.
When do daylilies bloom?
Daylilies start to flower in the early months of summer and will continue to do so into autumn.
Do daylilies spread?
Daylilies are hardy and spread quickly into larger clumps. Divide your daylilies every few years so as to avoid overcrowding, which can prevent blooming.
How long do daylily plants live?
Daylilies can live for several years due to their hardiness. However, it is advisable to divide them every three or six years to allow adequate space for their roots to continue growing.
Should I deadhead daylilies?
Daylilies should be deadheaded in order to encourage new flowers to bloom. Deadheading these plants is easy – you simply need to pull off the dead flowers, being careful not to disturb any surrounding buds.
Is Epsom salt good for daylilies?
Daylilies need sulphur and magnesium for them to maintain their best possible standard of health. Epsom salts help daylilies acquire all of the nutrients that they need to maintain a healthy bloom.
Why do my daylilies have yellow leaves?
Daylilies can develop yellow leaves due to an improper amount of water. The plants are easy to care for once they have been established. However, young plants need regular moisture to survive and to establish good root systems that are able to sustain growth.
How often should I divide my daylilies?
To maintain optimum health, daylilies need to be divided every three to six years.
What can I plant next to daylilies?
Daylilies require very little soil maintenance. As a result, there are plenty of flowers that would do well next to daylilies.
Daylilies bloom throughout the summer, so to keep your garden looking interesting, consider a variety of plants that bloom at different times.
Some of the best plants to have alongside your daylilies include:
- Lavender
- Echinacea
- Bergamot
- Shasta daisies
- Black eyed Susan
- Phlox
- Hellebores
- Yarrow
- Baby’s breath
If you love easy to grow plants, daylilies are certainly a wonderful choice. Low maintenance and striking when in bloom, we think they tick all the right boxes.