Growing Day Lilies

Fairview daylily sale to benefit fight child abuse is July 8-9

What: Cheryl Alderman's benefit daylily sale. Proceeds benefit Asheville's Child Abuse Prevention Services.
When: 3-8 p.m. July 8 and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. July 9.
Where: 10 Sharon Road, Fairview. The garden is between Brush Creek and Cane Creek roads. From U.S. 74A east, turn right on Brush Creek, then it's one mile to Sharon Road.
Learn more or volunteer: Contact Child Abuse Prevention Services at 254-2000 or childadvocacy@buncombe.main.nc.us or visit www.childabusepreventionservices.org
Daylilies are perennial plants that return each year. When in bloom, individual flowers last a day, replaced by another one the following day. Here are some growing tips:
• Six hours of sun a day is recommended.
• Daylilies should get an inch of water a week.
• Plant them in well-drained soil.
• To learn more, visit the American Hemerocallis Society Web site, www.daylilies.org.

How to Grow Daylilies

How to Grow Daylilies

Growing daylilies in your garden will give it an unparalleled splendor. It is an easy and highly productive thing to do.

Daylilies look like lilies but are not exactly lilies. They are native to Asia and they came to the new world in the 18th century. They take their name from their characteristic day-blooming quality. There are daylilies like Stella de oro which re-bloom.  Hybridization of daylilies has been done extensively. Almost all colors of daylilies are represented. The flowers are big and colourful in the fullest sense. So, growing daylilies in your garden could make it a color paradise. Daylilies have a great resistance to environmental or soil related flaws. So, they need very little care. However, there are a few things you should know before planting them in your garden.

Choose the ones from the many varieties of daylilies which suit you color plan. Growing daylilies need sun. So, go for them if you have enough sun in your garden.  However some darker colored varieties tolerate mild shading.  Little sun in your garden would mean choosing these varieties.

You should plan things prior to planting. Have a soil test of your garden done. This would help you with fertilization, soil treatment etc. Also, since daylilies can be used in landscaping efficiently, plan the landscape. Daylilies look good in lines as well as beds. Take maximum advantage of it while planning the landscape. Planning the landscape, while growing daylilies, will also help you making color choices; hence the cultivar choices.

Planting is easy. The best time for planting is spring to early summer. You should take care that the gap between one plant and the next is between 18 to 24 inches. These plants grow bigger if spread. So, this much gap is necessary.

Growing daylilies do not need extensive care and culture. That is where daylilies’ popularity lies. You can keep a loose schedule of watering. Fertilization is an annual or bi-annual need. The best time to fertilize the soil is in the spring. Some pests like aphids; spiders etc. can cause a little harm. Remove them. If necessary, use insecticides etc. As for diseases, daylilies are very healthy plants.

Full grown daylily plants grow in a wide clump. It is made up of fans which have their own roots. They can be separated easily. At about five years from planting, the daylilies need dividing and reallocation. Dig the plants and separate the fans with your hands or some tools to divide and replant them.

Gardener's Guide to Growing Daylilies

Daylilies, the perfect perennial

Growing Daylilies

The new encyclopedia of daylilies, more than 1700 outstanding selections

Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard, Grow 40 Vegetables and Herbs in Gardens and Pots