As you gaze out over the landscape, does a wonderful grouping of soft pastel colors catch your eye? The flowering perennial I am referring to is the daylily. DAYLILIES
Daylilies have been used over the centuries as an herb for healing and in the last 100 years as a beautiful flower to be enjoyed by all. The colors stretch from yellow to orange to red to almost a pure white. Take a close look along the roadside, you will probably see some stunning patches of orange flowers poking their heads up just above the tall grass, these are what a lot of us commonly call tiger daylilies. This daylily is one tough customer, it takes heat, drought, wet weather and even an occasional mowing and still comes back to bloom another year.
Now, think about your landscape. Do you have a spot for this type of plant? The daylilies bloom from 2 - 3 weeks up to several months. Most of the hybrid types bloom for only just a few weeks, so consider using different cultivars that bloom at different times to lengthen the bloom period. Also, think about mixing other perennials to add extra interest.
If you have decided this is the plant(s) for you, that's great. STOP! It's time to begin work on the bed area before the daylilies are purchased and planted. Daylilies perform at their best in well-drained garden soils.
One question our office receives on a regular basis is what are the steps for proper preparation of the soil to make a good garden soil. The answer is time, effort, the correct soil amendments, and matching the plant that will perform in these well-drained soils.
Generally, most soils in Gaston County are heavy clays and need organic amendments. If you have access to cow manure it works great with daylilies; the one major problem is that manure straight off the farm will have weed seeds and you will have to deal with them as they germinate. Other sources of organic matter include: composted cow manure, compost from yard waste, and small pinebark ( 1 - 3 centimeters in size). The top 6 - 8 inches of soil needs to be loosened and then 2 inches of organic matter should be worked into the soil. If time allows, take a soil sample to determine the soil pH level and add lime if necessary.
Once this part is completed, the next step is finding a good source of quality plant material. This can be either from a friend's yard or from a commercial grower. Most of the plants are dug out of the garden, although you can find daylilies in containers. If you have the plants picked out in the garden setting, then now is a great time to dig. When digging be considerate of the gardener and lightly tap off the soil and leave it in the garden; remember they have worked hard on their garden soil to grow such nice plants.
Now, you are back at home in your garden and ready to plant. First, separate the crowns (fleshy rhizomes) into single plants if not already done. Cut the leaves back 1/2 their length in a fan shape; this helps reduce water loss from the leaves while the plant is establishing. Next, plant the roots (rhizomes) no deeper than you dug them and water them in.
If you wish to mulch around the plants, do not add more than 1 - 2 inches in depth. Adding too much mulch will aid in the decline of the plant(s). Also, a light fertilization in the spring after the new growth appears and before bloom spikes show is recommended for strong growth.
After 2 - 3 years the plants will need dividing and you can share with a friend and cycle begins again. Enjoy your garden.
Mark Blevins , Horticulture Agent
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/gaston/
