Daylily

Family. Asphodeloideae.

Origin, where it grows. In its natural habitat it grows in East Asia.

Description. Daylily is a perennial flowering herbaceous plant with long, thick, yellow or orange branched roots.

Each bush has many glossy, green, linear, basal leaves arranged in two rows.

The leaf blades are whole, often slightly bent along the central vein, straight, rigid or gracefully curved. Some modern species have longitudinal white or yellow stripes on the leaves.

During the flowering period, strong, rounded peduncles are formed, often branched at the top.

The buds are large - often reaching 12-15 cm in diameter. Depending on the specific variety, the shape of the flowers and their color are very variable, including a very wide range of colors.

After the buds wither, seed pods appear.

Currently, several tens of thousands of varieties of different sizes, with different flowering periods, flowers of various shapes and shades have been bred.

During the flowering period, the buds emit a pleasant aroma.

Height. Depending on the specific variety, daylilies can reach 40–130 cm in height.

When it blooms

The flowering period can begin from the beginning of May, and some late-flowering varieties have their first buds blooming at the end of September. Growing such specimens in a harsh climate is impractical - early frosts can destroy the buds.

Each bud opens for only a few hours - day or night, so the flowers are called ephemeral. On each peduncle, 3 buds can be constantly open - they will replace each other every day. In total, there can be up to 50 buds on the peduncles.

Each bush can bloom for 3 - 4 weeks. Modern varieties can bloom 2 or even 3 times per season; their flowering occurs in waves.

Planting and care

Species bushes and old, established varieties of daylilies are undemanding to the conditions of maintenance and often suffer neglect.

For growing, choose a semi-shaded or sunny place - often the lighter the buds are colored, the more sun the bush will need for lush flowering. Dark-colored buds wither and lose their bright color under direct sunlight. When grown in the shade, flowering becomes less abundant or does not occur at all.

Do not place daylilies in places where rain and melt water stagnate or where groundwater lies close to the surface - they will better tolerate a slight drought than a constant excess of water.

Zoned varieties are highly frost-resistant and can withstand strong negative temperatures.

How and when to plant 

The best periods for planting are considered to be early spring and the first half of autumn. When planting in spring, the flowering of early varieties may suffer, but planting in autumn should be done at a time so that the root system has time to adapt to the new location before the onset of frost. Usually, daylilies develop roots within a month, that is, planting is carried out 5 - 6 weeks before the first frost.

Before planting, specimens with an open root system are placed in a bowl of water for several hours, to which a small amount of mineral fertilizers has been added. After such soaking, the roots will become thick, absorb water, and it will be easy to identify damaged areas for pruning.

First, dig up the soil and remove weeds. If necessary, enrich nutrient-poor soils by adding humus or cow and horse manure. If the soil is too dense, river sand is mixed into it to improve drainage.

It is worth carefully monitoring that the pH level remains neutral or slightly acidic. Depending on the planting pattern and the height of the variety, prepare the holes.

For miniature plants, the distance between the holes can be 40 - 50 cm, and tall flowers are best planted further from each other - at a distance of 80 - 90 cm. The depth and width of the planting holes should be 1.5 - 3 times larger than the root ball. A nutrient layer of humus or well-rotted manure 8-10 cm thick is placed at the bottom of the holes.

Instead of such a layer or directly on it, superphosphate granules are poured and charcoal or ash is laid.

It is better to plant in the evening, and if planting is carried out in the morning or afternoon, it is better to choose cloudy or even rainy weather.

The bushes are removed from the transport containers, the roots are shaken off the remaining soil, and all old and rotten ends are cut with pruning shears. Healthy roots are cut, leaving 20-30 cm in length. To reduce moisture loss, the leaf blades are shortened significantly, leaving only 15 cm in height.

A mound of substrate is poured onto the bottom of the planting holes. The plants are placed in the holes, straightening the roots and ensuring that they are not directed upwards and do not bend. There should be no voids under the root system.

The root system is sprinkled with substrate, ensuring that after planting the root collar is 2 - 3 cm below the soil surface. Deep deepening will lead to delayed development and the appearance of rot.

After planting, the area is watered abundantly and sprinkled with a layer of mulch about 3 cm thick made of river sand - the mulch will quickly remove moisture from the root collar after watering.

In areas poor in nutrients, burnt sawdust, small pieces of bark, straw are suitable as mulch, it is also worth adding a little wood ash to the mulch - the layer of such mulch can reach 6 - 8 cm. When planting in the fall, dry fallen leaves can be used as mulch.

How to prune 

Flower stalks with faded buds are cut with a garden knife or pruning shears almost at the base. As they form, old, dying leaf blades are cut off.

The degree of pruning will depend on the type of daylily, which can be evergreen, semi-deciduous or dormant. In mid-autumn, the entire above-ground part of deciduous species is cut off, leaving only 10-15 cm of growth. After contact with the plant, you should thoroughly wash your hands with soap, since daylily is considered slightly poisonous.

Too short a haircut will promote early awakening of the bush. In autumn, pruning should not be done too early - in this case, the bushes, instead of going into hibernation, will give new, young leaves.

In semi-evergreen species, leaf blades turn yellow before the onset of winter, but they are cut only in the spring, immediately after the snow melts.

Transplanting

When grown in one place for 7-15 years or more, daylilies often lose their attractiveness - old bushes intensively grow leaves and bloom less abundantly. The buds on such specimens can become too small - the fact is that the roots become cramped and there is a struggle for nutrients.

Such flowers are transplanted to a new place and divided. The specific timing of transplantation will depend on the varietal characteristics.

Varieties with early and mid-flowering periods are transplanted after full flowering - in the second half of summer or early autumn. Late-flowering species can be transplanted to a new place in the first half of May.

Feeding and watering

Daylilies are fed 2-3 times per season with potassium-phosphorus mineral mixtures or well-rotted organic matter.

Fresh manure or nitrogen fertilizers should not be used for feeding - in the first case, the plants become weaker and are more susceptible to various diseases, and in the second case, they begin to abundantly grow leaves to the detriment of the formation of buds.

The first feeding is carried out in the spring, adding complex fertilizers, the second - as soon as flower stalks appear (use fertilizers with a high content of potassium and phosphorus). The third feeding is carried out immediately after flowering to prepare the plants for winter, phosphorus and potassium compounds are also used to strengthen the root system.

Autumn feeding will promote more abundant formation of buds that will bloom next year.

Water as the top layer of soil dries, quite rarely, but very abundantly. Watering is carried out in the morning or evening, trying to bring water to the roots.

Water getting on flowers and buds can reduce their attractiveness, and daytime watering can cause sunburn on the leaves. After watering, the soil is loosened and the area is weeded.

Care in autumn, wintering in open ground

In general, daylilies overwinter well even in harsh climates, suffering only from very severe frosts or lack of snow cover. Deciduous species and varieties bred on their basis are considered the most frost-resistant.

Semi-evergreen and evergreen bushes are less resistant to harsh conditions - in a winter with little snow, they die at an air temperature of -20 degrees.

In the fall, after cutting off all the green mass almost to the base, the root system is sprinkled with a layer of humus or manure on top, which will help to retain heat.

In the first year of growing in open ground, young seedlings can be additionally covered with non-woven material on top.

In northern regions, bushes are often sprinkled with fallen leaves or covered with pine and spruce branches. The cover is removed on the first fine days of spring, as soon as the snow melts in this area.

Reproduction

There are several methods of propagation - by sowing seeds, division or daughter rosettes. Seed propagation is often used by breeders to develop and fix new varieties.

Division 

Division is carried out during transplantation - in spring or after flowering - in late summer - early autumn. Since adult specimens often lose their attractiveness, this procedure helps to rejuvenate the flower.

The plants are dug out of the soil, the roots are shaken off and even, if necessary, washed with running water. Rotten and diseased areas are immediately cut off. Adult bushes older than 5 - 7 years can be easily divided into parts by hand.

If necessary, use a sterile knife or pruning shears. The wound surface formed as a result of division is sprinkled with charcoal powder or treated with ash for drying and disinfection.

Each division should receive its own root system and green leaves. Prepare planting holes and cut off the green mass from the seedlings, leaving 10 - 15 cm of growth.

Daylilies are planted in holes and watered abundantly. In the first week after planting, it is better to protect the bushes from direct sunlight and pay special attention to watering - the soil should be evenly moist, but not swampy.

With spring division, the strongest specimens will quickly recover and even have time to form buds in the summer.

Separation of daughter sockets

Often, after flowering, small babies appear in the leaf axils of adult plants, and on the peduncles - leaf rosettes consisting of several plates, often even without roots at the base.

After flowering, the peduncles are left on the bushes until they dry out - the entire part located above the rosette should become dry. The rosettes can be separated along with a small piece of the shoot - leaving about 4 cm at the bottom and top of the rosette.

The bases of the rosettes are sprinkled with growth hormones and placed for several days in a container with water, to which a tablet of activated carbon should be added. Every 3-5 days, the water must be changed to fresh.

When roots 4-5 cm long appear at the base, the flower is planted in the garden, having previously shortened the leaves by a third of the height.

Rosettes can be rooted directly on the peduncle, without separating them from it. To do this, a layer of wet moss - sphagnum or well-moistened peat 3-4 cm thick is placed on the leaf node.

This layer is tightly wrapped on top with transparent polyethylene film, which is fixed at the top and bottom. Peat or moss is kept moist by injecting water from a syringe under the film. In a couple of weeks, you will notice the first roots under the film.

Place the rosettes at a depth of 1-2 cm, keeping the soil constantly moist. The appearance of young leaves will indicate the formation of roots under the surface of the earth. During the first winter, seedlings are protected from frost with a layer of humus non-woven material.

If it is autumn outside at the time of planting and the first frosts are coming soon, it is better to leave the rosette in the house, placing it in a small pot and covering it with a layer of barely damp river sand 1-2 cm thick.

You can plant the rosette like a regular houseplant in a pot and put it in a well-lit, warm room for the winter. Such specimens are planted in open ground in May, after the last night frosts have passed.

10-12 days after planting, the plants are fed with low-concentration nitrogen fertilizers.

Growing from seeds

This method of propagation is not advisable to use at home, since the plants obtained in this way may not inherit all the varietal characteristics of the mother bushes.

Seeds are collected from fully ripened seed pods that have become dry and brown.

1 method of planting. Ripe seeds are soaked in water with a small amount of hydrogen peroxide (about 15 ml per liter of water) and growth hormones. Cover the container with polyethylene from above and put it in a dark place or cover it with black film from above.

After 3-4 days, the planting material is checked for the first time - the first roots can hatch 4-15 days after soaking.

The sprouted planting material is planted in pots and placed on a light windowsill without direct sunlight.

In the winter months, daylilies are kept indoors, using artificial lighting, and in the second half of May they are planted in the garden, allocating a separate area, where they will spend another 1 - 2 years.

Method 2. Cool stratification increases seed germination well - 2 months before sowing, the planting material is sent to the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. After stratification, you can sow the seeds in small flower pots with loose and nutritious soil.

Place 2 seeds in each pot, cover with soil about 1 - 1.5 cm thick on top. Place the pots in a well-lit place without direct sunlight and cover with polyethylene to maintain high humidity. The first shoots may appear 2 - 3 weeks after sowing - at this time, the cover is removed.

You can immediately plant the seeds in open ground, before winter, just before the onset of frost. Cover the crops with non-woven material on top for insulation. The first shoots will appear in early spring.

In daylilies grown from seeds, the first buds may appear at the age of 2 - 3 years, but it is recommended to remove them so that the bushes form a powerful root system and do not waste energy on the formation of flowers.

Diseases and pests

Stagnation of water, too much deepening during planting or the presence of a large amount of melt water can lead to rot. Sometimes rust or fusarium appears. Iris spot.

Among the harmful insects that can attack the flower are slugs and snails, thrips, spider mites, garden grass bugs, and lily mosquitoes. The roots of the plant can be tasted by small rodents. 

Interesting facts

The fact that the daylily buds remain open for only a few hours is directly reflected in the name.

The Swedish accountant and naturalist Carl Linnaeus called it "Hemerocallis", which in Greek means "remains beautiful throughout the day".

Interestingly, the flowers do not cause allergic reactions even in people prone to this disease.

Some species are edible - they can be eaten both fresh and after heat treatment.

Varieties

The classification of daylilies is quite complex. For example, plants differ in height, flowering time, shape and color of buds; there are also diploid and tetraploid plants that differ in the set of chromosomes.

Diploids have only 22 chromosomes, versus 44 in tetraploids. Tetraploids, distinguished by a large set of chromosomes, appeared only in the 1950s. years.

The plants were distinguished by their resistance to diseases and unfavorable external conditions, a wide variety of shapes and shades of buds, the diameter of which also became larger. The disadvantages of these plants include fragile peduncles. Currently, most terry plants and spiders belong to diploids, which are now not inferior to tetraploids in their qualities. 

Based on the time of flowering, early, middle and late daylilies are distinguished, as well as remontant plants that can bloom again throughout the year.

Based on the size of the flowers, they are divided into small-flowered, large-flowered and miniature. Some gardeners also distinguish groups of daylilies according to the presence or absence of aroma.

Based on the height of the plants, there are dwarf, short, medium and tall varieties.

The shape of the buds is simple - with 3 petals and 3 sepals, double (with a large number of petals), spiders or spiders (plants with long and narrow, often curved back petals). 

Varieties with corrugated petals are classified as sculptural daylilies.

According to the time of bud opening - night, day and long-flowering - the buds of such plants remain open and attractive for most of the day.

By type of vegetation - evergreen, semi-evergreen and dormant (deciduous). 

Daylily × hybrida

Most modern varieties are bred on the basis of hybridization of several natural species - from some, daughter plants will inherit resistance to external conditions, from others - rich color or shape of buds, and from others - bush height, winter hardiness or other characteristics.

The most common varieties in modern floriculture are considered to be varieties from Australia and America, since in these countries they have been very willing to cultivate daylilies for a long period of time. Currently, many new plants have appeared among Russian breeders. 

Varieties with simple flowers

Stella de Oro

 A miniature, narrow-leaved, small-flowered daylily, whose height often does not exceed 30 cm. The variety is distinguished by the fact that it can bloom continuously, producing buds from May to August. The flowers are golden-yellow, funnel-shaped, about 7 cm in diameter.

Daylily Strawberry Candy

 Semi-evergreen ornamental plants of medium height, reaching 65 cm. The variety has bright flowers of a characteristic pinkish-red color with a diameter of up to 12 cm. The buds remain open for 16 hours a day, the flowering period is very long and begins in the first half of summer.

Chicago Apache

 Tetraploid with summer flowering. Bright buds open in the morning and reach a diameter of 12 cm. Blooms continuously from June to August.

Daylily hybrid Bonanza

 Diploid plants up to 85 cm in height. Flowering occurs in the second half of summer, the buds are very fragrant, bloom in the morning and remain open and attractive throughout the day.

Daylily Catherine Woodbury

 A late-blooming multi-flowered variety with delicate flowers up to 15 cm in diameter. During the flowering period, the plants emit a delicate aroma. The plants reach a height of 75 cm and bloom in August.

Daylily Pandora's Box

 A distinctive feature of this variety is that even when exposed to direct sunlight, the flower petals do not fade or lose their bright color. Bushes about 60 cm high bloom in the first half of summer. The buds reach 10 cm in diameter.

Calico Jack

 Tetraploid, semi-deciduous, amazingly beautiful daylily with bright flowers, the petals of which are colored yellowish or beige. The middle part of the flower and the border of the petals are burgundy, and the center of the buds is orange. The plants reach a height of 60 cm.

Daylily hybrid Moonlit Masquerade

 Semi-evergreen tetraploid with large buds up to 15 cm in diameter, repeat flowering in the autumn months. The height of the plant is about 60 - 70 cm.

Final Touch

 Tall variety - plants reach 80 cm, bloom in August, forming very delicate, large buds on branched peduncles. During the flowering period, this diploid has a pleasant aroma.

Daylily hybrid Grape Velvet

 Bushes up to 60 cm high bloom in mid-summer, forming very rich, dark flowers of a violet-burgundy hue with a greenish-yellow throat. During the flowering period, plants need shading. 

Terry or daylilies Double

Daylily Siloam

Compact two-color plants often do not exceed 40 cm in height and during the flowering period form lush, flesh-colored or pink terry buds with a diameter of up to 10 cm. It blooms in late June - early July. 

Apricot Beauty

 Bushes 60 - 70 cm high bloom in the first half of summer, decorating themselves with numerous peach-colored buds.

Daylily Kwanso

 The buds of this variety are distinguished by numerous narrow petals, painted in a bright orange or peach hue. This huge daylily is large in size and in optimal conditions reaches 90 - 120 cm in height.

Condilla

 Dormant diploid up to 45 cm high, blooming in June. These fragrant plants produce bright buds with wide petals that are slightly ruffled along the edges.

Daylily Spider

The plants are distinguished by elegant flowers with arched, long and narrow petals.

Crimson Pirate

 A medium-sized variety - the height of this long-flowering plant is about 75 cm. The flowers reach a diameter of 10 cm and remain open and attractive for 16 hours. The variety is a deciduous diploid; planting in partial shade is preferable for this variety.

Species daylilies:

Daylily middendorfii

 Another name is Amur daylily, the plants originate from the Far East and are also found in Korea and China. The height of the flower reaches 90 cm. An interesting feature of the plant is that its flowers are eaten in Asian regions.

Daylily citrina

 Tall variety - plants easily exceed 1 m in height. In its natural habitat, this species is found in China and East Asia. This species of early-flowering daylily blooms in the first half of summer.

Daylily fulva

 The height of this Asian giant plant can reach 150 cm; both buds and leaves, as well as underground roots, are considered edible. Flowering in this species occurs in the second half of summer.

Daylily minor

 Perennials up to 50 cm high with elegant, odorless yellow flowers. The species comes from Japan, China, Korea, Mongolia, and Russia. This spring daylily blooms earlier - in May - June.

Daylily Corky

 These rather large flowering, exclusive  perennials reach 80 cm and bloom in mid-summer, opening their fragrant buds.