Daylilies
Posted on June 2, 2015 by bob in Yard 'N Garden
Look carefully as you are driving down the highway. You will probably see orange “ditch” lilies waving their trumpet shapes in the breeze along the roadside. Well, guess what? The daylily world has evolved to more than 79,000 registered varieties and it’s no longer just Grandma’s ditch lily. You can easily find a rainbow of colors, shapes, and sizes. And all are daylilies, part of the “hemerocallis” family. The American Hemerocallis Society’s website (http://www.daylilies.org) provides answers to the most 
frequently asked questions about daylilies. There is also an online database listing every cultivar (daylily) that has been registered and it includes information about color, height, bloom time, reblooming qualities, and the person who hybridized the plant. Photos are available for most of the named varieties.
Daylilies come in a variety of colors, but you might not know pure white and true blue daylilies are NOT in existence as of now. You can be sure hybridizers are working diligently to be the first ones to see one of these colors blooming in their garden. Daylilies can have unique patterns, shapes, and edges. Some are as small as two inches, while other flowers can be 11 inches. Many flower forms are available in the daylily world: single blooms, doubles, spiders, and unusual forms. Such variety is so unexpected!
Daylilies are often called the perfect perennial because they can survive with very little care in many different types of climates. They have few diseases and, given about six hours of sun a day, will provide years of fabulous blooms. To maximize color in your landscape, select daylilies that bloom early, midseason, and late. Look for plants that have heavy bud counts on numerous branches. Even though a daylily only blooms one day, hence the name, large bud counts make the daylily appear to be in bloom for days and weeks at a time.
Have you looked in your yard in the winter and worried that all your daylilies have died? Don’t panic! Daylilies can be dormant, with the leaves dying back completely and emerging in the spring, or they can be evergreen, with foliage remaining green all winter.
Before you purchase your daylilies, think about where you will plant them. Look for a sunny location and prepare your soil, adding compost or other materials so that it can drain sufficiently. Follow these American Hemerocallis Society suggestions for planting your daylilies:
— Dig a hole larger than the root mass.
— Make a mound in the center of the hole.
— Set the plant in place with the roots spread on all sides of the mound.
— New plants should be planted about as deep as they grew originally. The original depth can be determined easily by the band of white at the base of the foliage which indicates the part of the plant which was underground.
— Do not set the crown (i.e., the point where foliage and roots join) more than 1 inch below the surface of the soil.
— Work the soil around and between the roots as you cover the plant.
— Firm the soil and water well.
— Make sure that there are no air pockets; this can cause the plant to grow poorly.
— When all the water has soaked in, finish filling in the soil, leaving a slight depression around the plant.
— Space your daylilies about 18-24” apart on each side, allowing room for each plant to grow.
— Mulching your plants improves the soil and helps to retain moisture.
Now that you are excited about planting daylilies around your yard, where can you purchase them? A great start would be to head to the Montgomery Area Daylily Society’s annual daylily sale at Eastdale Mall, June 6, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Hundreds of registered daylily plants will be available for purchase. Additional information will also be on hand through posters, displays, and simply by talking to the many daylily enthusiasts conducting the sale. Who knows, you might just get hooked once you see the many colorful blooms on display from members’ gardens! Check out the website, too: www.montgomeryareadayluilysociety.com
Terese Goodson, a Master Gardener in the Capital City Master Gardener Association since 2012, lives in Montgomery and is President of the Montgomery Area Daylily Society. For information on becoming a master gardener, visit the website, www.capcitymga.org or e-mail capcitymga@gmail.com.
FREE LUNCH & LEARN
“Roses for the Faint of Heart”
June 3, 12:00 – 1:00 P.M.
Armory Learning Arts Center
1018 Madison Avenue, Montgomery
Bring a Sack Lunch – Drinks Provided
For more information contact the Montgomery County Extension Office (334) 270-4133
