The Growth and Care of Daylilies

Growing and cultivating daylilies is easy and rewarding, even to the novice gardener.

This article explains how to care for daylilies and how to propagate them.

Daylilies are so easy to grow that if you take just minimal care of them they will bloom and multiply for years. They come in many colors and sizes and are not very picky about where they are planted. They do want sun at least half the day and can do well on slopes and other difficult places.

If you are interested in container gardening on a balcony that gets a lot of sun, daylilies are a sensible choice.

If you buy daylilies growing in a pot from a local nursery you can just leave it in the pot. Daylilies do well in full sun or part shade. Part shade means 4-6 hours of the day the plant is shaded from direct sunlight. Daylilies in a pot must be watered every day during hot summer days. If the pot dries out very quickly move the plant to a larger one.

Often daylilies are sold in packages that contain bare root plants. These plants are ready to sprout when the conditions are right. It helps to soak these roots in water for up to an hour to re-hydrate them before planting. These can go into a pot or the ground. Do not use dirt from your yard in a pot, it will become very hard and can injure or kill the plant. Use good commercial potting soil in pots.

Daylilies do best in a garden setting where they can grow undisturbed for many years. Good soil, well loosened and lightly fertilized will produce a multitude of blooms. Plant the daylily with the roots spread out in a circle and cover with about an inch of soil. If you soak them in water before planting they will get started faster.

Daylilies should be set about 12 apart if they will grow no taller than 14. Larger plants should be spaced 18 to 24 apart to allow space for the plants to multiply.