How to Grow Better Daylilies 
The daylily is one of the most easily grown perennials. It will flourish in most any kind of soil, 
in sun or part shade, and will adapt itself to a great variety of conditions. However it does have its 
preferences and if you want show flowers here are a few pointers. 
Care of Newly Received Plants 
If plants can be planted at once, unwrap the 
plant, remove moss or packing material from 
roots, wash them off or let stand in water for an 
hour to refresh the plant and set out. Daylilies 
may be kept fresh for several days if placed in a 
pail with water over the roots and stored in a 
cool, shady place out of doors. It is better to do 
this than to rush planting before soil is properly 
prepared. 
Where to Plant 
Daylilies face away from a background and 
toward the sun. Place them where they have a 
wall, fence, hill or shrubbery behind, and all the 
flowers will look toward you. Put the tallest 
plants at the back and the shorter ones in the 
foreground. 
Space your dayilies 2’ or 3’ apart. They will 
produce their best bloom from two to five year 
old clumps, so allow space for the clumps to 
develop. 
When to Plant 
Plant late blooming sorts in spring, and early 
blooming varieties in summer or early fall. Day- 
lilies can be moved almost any time, but bloom 
will not be as fine directly after the plant is 
moved. It must have time to make new roots and 
settle down in its new home. Plant evergreen 
sorts in spring if possible, or not later than early 
September in the north. 
How to Prepare Soil 
Daylilies like a friable garden soil made mellow 
with compost or well rotted manure. Bone meal 
or Vigoro are good in moderation but avoid too 
rich a fare, and especially no fresh manure. If 
the soil is heavy, work in some peat moss, ground 
sphagnum, leaf mold or sand. Daylilies like plenty 
of moisture during the flowering season. If your 
soil 1s too porous and dries out easily water it 
copiously during dry spells. However daylilies 
should not be grown in a boggy place. Spade up 
the soil at least a foot deep in preparing the bed 
and leave it finely pulverized. 
How to Plant 
Dig a hole about 10” deep and 10” across and 
pulverize the soil. Make a cone of soil in center 
of hole with point about 1” below surface. Place 
plant on this with roots extending down and out 
along sides of cone. Fill in with fine top soil and 
press down firmly working around roots if neces- 
sary. Before completely filling, soak each plant 
with water. Let drain away and then fill a little 
above soil level with moist rich dirt. Firm down. 
The crown where roots and stem meet should be 
1” to 2” below the surface. Too deep planting 
reduces flowering. 
When to Divide 
When 5 or more years old a daylily clump will 
have exhausted the soil fertility and flowering will 
taper off. It is time to dig and divide. Dig the 
entire clump, wash off the roots, and with a 
sharp knife, cut into divisions of from 1 to 3 
fans, each with a good portion of roots. Many 
times the clump will pull apart naturally and 
make symmetrical divisions without cutting. Trim 
roots to about 5” and tops to about 10”. Prepare 
soil as directed above and replant as separate 
plants. 
Insect Control 
Few pests attack daylilies. If thrips are present 
they may appear on the soft new spring growth 
of daylilies. If stunting, distortion or falling of 
leaves begins, spray immediately with an insecti- 
cide containing 5% DDT, getting the spray right 
down into the growing crown of the plant. If sev- 
eral plants show thrip injury it is wise to spray 
the entire planting. 
Yearly Care 
In spring clean up all dead leaves and weeds. 
Sprinkle a small handful of vigoro around each 
plant and cultivate in. Compost and bone meal 
are also good fertilizers. We have found foliage 
feeding to be effective. Water during dry spells 
for finest bloom. Keep weeded during summer. 
In fall cut top growth back to about 8” and 
mulch lightly with a dry litter if recently planted. 
Cut off old flower stalks unless you want seed. 
SAXTON DAYLILY GARDENS 
1 First STREET 
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y. 
