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Originally Posted by talloolla
Just a follow up on what worked and what did not. Even though my sale daylillies were a bit ragged, they were still sporting buds and I could not bring myself to give them sever haircuts when I planted them. I opted for giving them a manicure except for one plant that the deer nibbled right down to almost nothing. That plant is doing the best...the foliage all came back, although a bit stunted, and it is blooming. The ones that I babied are not doing as well. They are limping along,still spindly and the buds were severely stunted. I know all will survive, but I learned that I really should have sheared them all and let them come back as best they could. Lesson learned!
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Originally Posted by no kudzu
IT TAKES ALOT TO KILL A DAYLILLY.
If you can't get them planted right away, I think you should just cut back everything now and cover them in good mulch and keep it moist. not soaked for any period of time but try not to let the hot sun bake them. When you do get around to planting them, even if it is fall, soak them overnight in a bucket and then plant them in good soil fortified with some manure, bone meal, natures helper- any good amendment.
It is bulbs you don't want to cut foliage on because nutrients go back into the bulb but this is not so true for daylilies. I have deer here who eat the foliage down to the ground every year as soon as I stop spraying deer repellent yet each successive year I get nice blooms-as long as I keep them sprayed.
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Daylilies are the "special case" plant that you can break the rules with when it comes to planting. I swear they seem to actually thrive on abuse, well, make that neglect. Cutting back the foliage is sometimes helpful when the conditions are so hot that the leaves would only loose moisture and not provide enough energy towards setting new roots. Those rhizomes store enough "food" to regrow the plant easily as soon as they are in good soil and moisture conditions. Leaving any buds on it is not a good idea as that drains energy that should be put into making roots. From the plants perspective it "exists" to make more of its own kind through flower production and it will put its last gasps of life into trying to make seeds. The one pruned for you by the deer was healthier because there were no buds draining away the energy and instead the plant worked on survival by making better roots. NoKudzu's advice was spot on if you can't plant them right away.
I just planted a handful I couldn't resist buying at a daylily event in the midst of a heat wave where every day was 100 degrees or more. I watered intermittently and we finally got a soaking rain and low and behold there are beautiful green plants thriving! I'm sure I was lucky in the timing of the rain and I wouldn't recommend planting anything in that kind of heat normally
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Originally Posted by Ellwood
My spouse is addicted to daylilies...unfortunately (fortunately) there is a daylilies "farm" closeby....
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Yep, that can be a "problem" depending on your point of view. I discovered a large well known Daylily farm is not all that far from here and pretty much would have loved to bring home at least 2 dozen varieties from the ones we saw. It was 103 as we left and too hot to carry too much which probably saved me. It doesn't help that I know someone who is becoming a breeder with a garden containing hundreds of different and exotic daylilies. Once you see a garden like hers you can't help but want to plan additional garden spaces filled with them. I wish your spouse much happiness with her daylilies.
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