Daylilies are rugged, adaptable, vigorous perennials that endure in a garden for many years with little or no care. Daylilies adapt to a wide range of soil and light conditions. They establish quickly, grow vigorously, and survive winters with little or no injury.
There are over 35,000 varieties of daylilies that come in a variety of different flower colors, sizes, flower shapes and blooming times. You must take these factors into consideration when choosing which to plant. One planting strategy for daylilies is to plant a bed all one color but choose different bloom times to have flowers from the end of June well into October. Other ideas are to mix colors to have a changing garden, or have beds blooming at different times to maximize color.
There also are the repeat bloomers that, if you continue to dead head the flowers, the plant will produce more flowers throughout the season. The repeat bloomers could start mid-June and continue until the end of September.
Day lilies will bloom without dividing, but to maximize blooms you should divide every three to five years. The repeat bloomers especially need to be divided to repeat blooms.
This article was contributed by Warren Liken, Reder Landscaping’s Nursery Manager and Staff Horticulturist. Warren also holds an ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) Certification, and is one of only two Certified Arborists in the State of Michigan.