Subject: Re: DAYLILIES..

From: [email-masked] (Edward Gilbert)
Date: 13 Mar 1995 12:53:55 GMT

In <[email-masked]> [email-masked] writes: 

>
>
>In response to:
>IB>I don't know much about them, but would like to learn.
>
>Daylilies are amazingly adaptable perennials.  They grow from zone 10
>(Southern California) to zone 4 (parts of Maine and Minnesota), and
>flourish in nearly any soil or light conditions, except deep shade.
>They store water in fleshy, thick roots, and can withstand
>considerable drought, but also accept wet streamside environments.
>
>Specialty nurseries introduce new hybrids constantly.  Several of
>these nurseries advertise in garden magazines.
>
>Most of the best new daylily cultivars are tetraploid (doubled genes),
>and some are triploid (an extra chromosome).  A few new types are
>compact (about a foot tall), and several re-bloom.
>
>Re-blooming is desirable, as each individual flower lasts about a day
>(sic), and a crop of infloresences (flower stalks) only lasts about
>three or four weeks in most cases.  Some cultivars flower earlier than
>others, and many gardeners perfer to mix several varieties in a single
>planting (as one fades, another begins).
>
>Daylilies range from off-white to deep red, and many are two-toned,
>with the throat one color and the outer surface another, darker color.
>Personally, I love the green + pink and yellow + red combinations.
>
>One species of daylily, Hemerocallis fulva, has become an escaped weed
>in parts of the midwest.  Few other species re-seed much, and many
>hybrids appear to be sterile.
>
>Richard Shiell, ASLA    Bakersfield, CA         [email-masked]
>---
> þ SLMR 2.1a þ Berlandiera lyrata forever!
>
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NEWS SERVICE -- 8/29/88

DAYLILIES ARE DEPENDABLE PERENNIALS

    Daylilies are a welcome addition to any garden because they are 
relatively
maintenance free.  They are grown primarily for their flowers, which 
vary in
form and color depending on the cultivar.  Gardeners can choose from a 
wide
assortment of colors, including white, yellow, orange, pink, red and 
purple. 
Often each color offers a range of shades in its own category.
    Differing petal shapes also add to the interest of this plant, and 
can be
wide, slightly recurved, overlapping, crinkled, frilled or ruffled.  
Flower
shapes can vary from trumpet and cup-like to those resembling bells.  
Plant
size varies from one to four feet.
    Daylilies are dense-rooted plants that can be used as ground overs 
or bed
plants in several locations.  They are hardy perennials and require a
cold-induced period to flowere the following year.  After this cold 
period,
daylilies resume growth.  The flowers typically last for one day, but 
they are
replaced the next day for as long as six weeks once blooming begins.
    By selecting early-mid-and late-season varieties you can extend the
flowering season from May until September in many areas of Pennsylvania. 
 The
foliage is also very attractive, offering an interesting texture 
contrast
among other broadleaf materials.
    Other characteristics that make daylilies an ideal garden plant are 
their
dependability as perennials, their hardiness and their strong resistance 
to
pests.  They will survive a variety of sites that might be flooded or
droughty, they tolerate heat, full sun or light shade, and do very well 
on
little or no fertilizer.  They can be grown in most areas of 
Pennsylvania,
make excellent cut flowers, and some references suggest that the flower 
heads
are edible.      In addition to the various flowers and colors, 
daylilies can
be divided into three categories according to foliage.  The dormant 
types lose
foliage after the first frost and the plant dies to the ground each 
winter. 
These plants produce new foliage the following spring.  Semi-evergreen 
types
only lose part of their foliage after a frost and will also grown new 
leaves
in the spring.  Evergreen types retain foliage year-round.  Some
semi-evergreens and evergreens can be grown in the water parts of
Pennsylvania.  If you have any doubt about local conditions, start out 
with
the dormant types.      Daylily plantings can be established by dividing
clumps every 4 to 5 years, buying dormant fans or planting containerized
plants, generally available from specialty plant producers or garden 
centers.
     Propagation of daylilies is done mainly by dividing existing clumps 
and
is best as soon as flowering is over.  However, they seem to tolerate 
division
during their entire growing season.  Immediately before division, cut 
the
foliage back to one-half its length to make handling easier and reduce
moisture loss from the plant.
    
     There is less damage to the roots and crown of the plants if you 
dig
around the clump with a spade, and then gently lift the clump from the 
ground
intact.  Any soil should be removed by hand or washed from the roots 
with a
strong spray of water.  Once the soil has been removed, the clump can be
divided into sections called fans, which are shortened stems attached to
enlarged tuberous roots.
     Plant each fan into well-spaded soil.  Set divided fans back into 
the new
soil at the same depth as they grew originally.  If you begin with 
dormant
crowns in the spring, set them so the crown is 1 to 2 inches below the 
ground
level.  It helps to make a mound of soil in the center of the planting 
hole so
the roots of each fan are spread at a downward angle.  Never bend or 
fold the
roots in a planting hole.
    Next, gradually fill in the hole with loose soil and firm it around 
the
spreading roots.  Each plant in the bed should be well watered to 
encourage
root growth and expansion into the soil.  Yearly surface applications of
one-half cup of either 5-10-5 or 5-10-10 to each plant should keep them
healthy.      
    GENERAL CULTURAL NEEDS:
    
Light: best flowering is in full sun or light shade
Soil:  slightly acidic, well-drained loam, well supplied with humus.
Planting: may be done between April and September; space plants three to 
five
feet a part. 
Water: thoroughly after planting.  Ample water during the flowering 
period
promotes high-quality blooms.
Mulch:  generally not necessary, but will help conserve moisture and 
control
some weeds.  In very cold locations a coarse mulch will reduce the 
chance of
spring heaving when the soil thaws.

Source: Bob Nuss
 
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Editor: Krista Weidner
Ag Information Services -- News & Publications, Penn State

July 30, 1993
Document Number: 283011159
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Keywords: DAYLILY, FLOWER, GARDEN, NEWS-RELEASE, PENN-STATE, 
	  PENN-STATE-COLLEGE-AG-SCIENCES, PENNSYLVANIA, PERENNIALS

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 12 Mar 95 23:57:08 EST

In response to: