Saratoga Springs, Saratoga Today Article


	Daylilies By SueAnn DuBois*

		We all have our favorite garden plant. Every gardener has his or her reasons for their top pick. Mine is the daylily. When I first moved to the area I was taken by the wild daylilies gracing roadsides throughout the Saratoga area. As did many homeowners, I began my daylily collection by “roadside rustling”. But I soon came to know the different colors and sizes available in the hybrids. I had my first introduction to the beauty and versatility of hybrid daylilies years ago purchasing plants and learning from the Moreau Perennials once located in Gansevoort. Daylilies offer so much versatility to the home garden landscape: color, texture, varying heights, various bloom times, and in some cases, fragrance. The Stella line of daylilies, actually offers what I consider “great bloom for your buck” with ongoing blooms all year when properly cared for. Daylilies are among the easiest of perennials to grow and care for. They can last a lifetime if divided and transplanted every 5-8 years. All you need to do is provide some basic garden care. These plants truly can serve as a “backbone planting” in any outdoor design in our region.


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While some daylilies will grow in pure sand, they may not grow or bloom well. As with many plants, they do not grow well in poorly drained areas or where they will be competing with large tree and shrub roots. If drainage is a problem, consider a raised bed for planting. Daylilies will do much better if the soil has some fiber and fertilizer such as compost. Spring or Fall planting is recommended. Daylily roots grow sideways out of the crown, spreading into the soil. To plant, dig a hole, and build a mound in the center placing the base of the plant on top, letting the roots spread down the sides of the mound evenly. The point where the upper part of the plant joins the crown should be no more than one inch below the soil line. I was taught it is better to plant shallow than too deep. Over time, the plant will pull itself to the proper level in the soil if too shallow. If planted too deep in the soil, the bloom will be sparse or nonexistent. I like to plant daylilies with manure whatever the soil and always provide an organic compost top dress to protect the roots and retain moisture. Space your daylilies 18-24 inches apart as they do multiply and spread fairly rapidly.

Fertilize in early spring, using a 5-10-5, as soon as the frost is out of the ground. Do not use lawn fertilizer as this is high in nitrogen, supporting great foliage growth, but compromising your bloom. Then fertilize again in August when your plant begins a growth surge to prepare for the winter. If you are planting mail order bare root daylilies, they may look small and dried out. You may want to leave them in a weak solution of water and fertilizer for 2-4 hours and then plant. This extra step produces plants with extra vigor and gets them off to a great start.

Most daylilies do best in full sun. They will tolerate part-shade conditions, but generally need a minimum 6 hours of sun. Lighter cultivars such as yellow, pink and pastels, need full sun to bring out their full colors. Darker colors such as red and purple, may benefit from partial shade during the hottest time of the day as the dark color absorbs the heat. I have some red Asiatic Daylilies that have flourished in a dappled shade area over the years.

As with any plant watering is critical. The daylily needs about an inch of water each week to survive. Again, longer watering times tend to penetrate to the root and produce your best results.


	Luckily, daylilies are not very susceptible to pests, and those that do bother them normally do only minor damage. Some of the more common pests are aphids, spider mites, slugs, and snails. These pests may cause bumps on the buds, discolored leaves, bent or ragged edges and holes on the foliage. You can easily treat these with topical insecticide available at any garden supply. Frankly I have seen very little evidence of this in my gardens throughout our Saratoga area. The microclimates are generally favorable a to sustain the cold hardy zone 4 plants well.

		Because of their low maintenance and the fact they do come back year after year, daylilies make great additions to any landscape. I have used them as ground covers, to hold banks, as borders along fences and walks, and in various areas of decorative beds throughout the landscape.

With the varieties now available, they can find a nice niche in any part of your landscape. The dwarf varieties, range from 12-18 inches tall and serve as great borders. The 18-24 inch tall varieties work well in clumps middle of the garden with small flowers. While the taller varieties up to 30 inches make great background plants and often have large showy flowers.

The Stella variety of daylilies, the full season bloomers, now come in 3 shades, new this year, Purple Stella, Stella Doro a bright yellow, and Happy Returns, a pastel yellow. I have found the trick to keep that bloom coming is to deadhead regularly. With constant deadheading, I am able to keep them blooming right up to our first killing frost of Fall. In fact 2006 was so mild; many kept blooming right alongside the hardy mum. The single blooming hybrids also should have their spent flowers removed same as general care for any garden perennial plant.

Want to learn more about Daylilies? There is a Hudson Adirondack Daylily Society (HADS) in our region. Membership provides opportunities to attend workshops, lectures, plant sales etc. The membership contact is Carol Volungus 4 Applewood Drive Rexford, NY 12148. You can find more information on to the American Hemerocallis Society (AHS) website, http://www.daylilies.org.


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	* SueAnn DuBois is a Master Gardener and partner to the husband-wife team of Chips Landscaping. Chip’s Landscaping designs, constructs, and maintains outdoor landscape and water garden features in Saratoga County.


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