About Day Lillies

About Day Lillies.

Landscaping around buildings and other areas can be very beautiful with the addition of a row of day lilies. The day lily is a sun loving plant and its blooms are on fan like stems. Day lillies bloom for one day, then the next day another blooms in its place, thus the name day lily. Day lilies that get the required care can bloom up to a remarkable ten years or more and can be planted whenever the soil can be worked successfully, usually three out of the four seasons. The care of day lillies will be discussed further in this article.

Planting requirements

Day lillies, because of the eventual growth they take, require extra room to take into consideration when adding to a garden or as edging such as for a sidewalk. If replanting within a few years (usually 3-5 years) then provide a diameter of about 16-18 inches. If you have no plans for replanting, then leave a diameter of 24-30 inches for the plant to grow to its full width. Day lillies require plenty of sunlight, though some shade is acceptable. If at all possible provide 6-8 hours of sun in a loose soil without sand or gravel so growth will be as prolific as possible. Avoid areas where there is either shallow ground or low areas where puddles appear when it rains.



Care of Day Lillies

Day lillies require much rain or late afternoon watering before and during the flowering stage. Mulching with 1-4 inches of any variety of mulches, such as woodchips, leaves, or grass along with adequate fertilizer is also necessary in order to prevent weeds and keep an adequate level of moisture around the plants for healthy growth. Dividing of the plants in order to stimulate growth may be necessary later in the plants life. Day lillies live for a long time and are very easy to care for. In addition, they can handle drought very well and come in many very beautiful colors.

Dividing

Should the blooms become sparse or not seem to bloom well even after additional applications of fertilizer and improving other possible soil situations, then it is very possible that dividing will be necessary to rejuvenate growth. When dividing, first dig as much of the root up as possible and after hosing the plant off use a knife to divide the plant between the fans at the base of the plant, while trying to avoid cutting the root at all if possible. Divide the plants with anywhere between 1-3 fans wherever possible.

Hemerocallis (day lily) has become one of America’s favorite perennial’s. Originally, from Japan and other Asian countries, it made its way to England and eventually to America in the early 1900's. Improvements in the plant were made as hybridizers strengthened it in many ways including blooming seasons, flower form, and color. Thus, the day lily is an easy plant to care for as well as one that tolerates the warmer climates such as those in California and Texas.


Day Lily Fairies - Gift Enclosure Cards (set of 12)