Daylily
Water well through the first season; otherwise one of the most trouble-free and forgiving border perennials once established.
Care
Full sun to light part shade.
Standard border watering.
Fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil; adaptable and tolerant of a wide range of conditions.
Deadhead spent flowers daily during flowering (each bloom lasts only a day, hence the name); cut back foliage once it has died back in autumn; divide congested clumps every 3-4 years.
A balanced feed as growth starts and a second as the flower stems rise. Tolerant of neglect, but a fed clump carries noticeably more buds per stem — which for a flower that lasts one day is what makes the season.
Divide in spring or early autumn: lift the clump, prise it apart into fans with roots attached, and cut the leaves back by half before replanting. A congested clump flowers less, so this is maintenance too.
Month by month
Months change with the climate: in southern Italy tomatoes go out two months earlier than in England.
- MarchDivide congested clumps every 3-4 years. how ›
- JulyDeadhead spent flowers daily through the flowering season. how ›
- OctoberCut back foliage once it has died back. how ›
Months based on climate: UK. Your choice stays on this device.
- MarchDivide congested clumps every 3-4 years. how ›
- JulyDeadhead spent flowers daily through the flowering season. how ›
- OctoberCut back foliage once it has died back. how ›
Months based on climate: Northern Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
Common problems
How to spot it. On young shoots and flower buds.
What to do. Protect emerging growth.
How to spot it. Distorted, swollen flower buds that fail to open.
What to do. Remove and dispose of affected buds.
Popular varieties
Questions
Daylily: is it hardy?
H6–H7: Hardy in the vast majority of UK gardens. It survives down to −20 °C.
Can it grow in a pot?
Standard container culture.
Daylily: when do you prune it?
Deadhead spent flowers daily during flowering (each bloom lasts only a day, hence the name); cut back foliage once it has died back in autumn; divide congested clumps every 3-4 years. In the calendar for UK, pruning falls in October.
Daylily: when does it flower?
In the climate of UK it flowers in June–August.
When do you feed it?
A balanced feed as growth starts and a second as the flower stems rise. Tolerant of neglect, but a fed clump carries noticeably more buds per stem — which for a flower that lasts one day is what makes the season. Feeding months, UK: April, June.