By JASON GRAVES
KSRE Central District Horticulture agent
Daylilies are one of the plants you see growing next to an old homestead that time and weather have reduced to rubble. This is a testimony to their toughness. The old orange-blooming daylilies may be the toughest, but other varieties with more unusual colors are also tough and have proven themselves in Central Kansas landscapes.
The first hybrid daylily was introduced in 1890. Since then, thousands of varieties have been introduced. Although the daylily is in the lily family, it should not be confused with the garden lilies that grow from bulbs.
Daylilies have long, grass-like leaves, stiff, upright flowering branches, and fleshy roots. They grow in full sun to part shade, are 1 to 3.5 feet tall, and are hardy in Zones 3-10. They are effective garden perennials planted either in masses or combined with other plants.
Even neglected daylilies tend to survive. However, to maintain vigor, even the toughest daylily needs occasional care. With today’s varieties one important part of that care is dividing clumps every three to five years.
When and how to divide
Unlike many perennials, daylilies can be divided just about any time during the growing season, even while they’re blooming. Still, the best time to divide clumps in Kansas tends to be late summer or early fall. Allow the last flowers to fade, and dig up the whole clump. Pull off any dead leaves and flower stalks, and cut the green foliage back to about four inches.
As might be expected, the daylily root system is tough, too. The individual crowns in an old clump will be meshed together by entangled tuberous roots. You may need to separate the clump with a sharp spade. An easier method involves using a stream of water from a garden hose to wash the soil from the clump and then rolling the clump back and forth until the individual divisions separate.
Each new division should be about the size of a head of cauliflower. If you’ve divided your daylilies within the last few years, you may be able to use a spade to ‘peel off’ leaf fans and their roots. Sometimes, with a real good shaking, you can divide plants using your hands only.
Don’t be too concerned about root loss or breakage. You can trim broken or dead roots after prying the crowns apart. Young, vigorous divisions from the edges of the parent clump are more vigorous and will recover more quickly. Discard old growth from these neglected plants.
Plant in garden soil that you have amended with compost if possible. Spread the roots out in the planting hole, cover with soil to its original planting depth, firm the soil with your palms, and water in thoroughly. If you wait until late fall to divide daylilies, you’ll need to mulch the new plantings after the ground freezes. That will help prevent their being heaved out of the ground by the soil’s alternate freezing and thawing.
Divided daylilies won’t flower as abundantly the first year after division. But the plants will be back to normal by the second year and they’ll stay that way until they need to be divided again. By then, you may decide you have enough daylilies to start sharing with your neighbors and friends.