It depends on where you live and if you received sustained cold temperatures during the winter months. Our daylilies are categorized by foliage type -- dormant, evergreen, and semi-evergreen. If you live in an area that regularly receives freezing temperatures in the winter months, you can grow either type. But dormant daylilies cannot be grown in the deep South where winters aren't that harsh. Those in the deep South will need to grow evergreen or semi-evergreen varieties.

The best times to plant daylilies are in spring and fall. For spring planting, wait until the danger of hard frost has passed. Fall is also a great option, but aim to plant 4-6 weeks before the first hard frost hits. If you need to plant earlier in the spring or later in the fall, just be sure to water and mulch the daylilies well to help them establish.

In most regions, planting can be done from March through October (our nursery plants throughout this period), as long as you keep the new plants well-watered. In hotter climates, daylilies can often be planted in winter, though it's best to avoid planting during the peak heat of summer. Our spring shipments should arrive after the ground has thawed and the risk of frost has passed. Fall shipments should come a few weeks before freezing temperatures, but you can still plant later if you mulch the plants to protect them.

Daylilies love full sun if possible, but will tolerate part-shade conditions. A general rule is to make sure they get at least 6 hours of direct sun a day. Many darker colored varieties will benefit from partial shade in the hottest part of the day.

Daylilies will grow in a wide range of soils, from sand to heavy clay, and in a wide range of soil pHs. There are steps you can take to improve your soil, especially if it is predominantly clay or sand. Clay soils can be improved by the addition of compost, humus or peat moss, or sand which will help make it more friable. Sandy soil will benefit from the addition of compost, humus or peat moss which will serve to increase water retention. Daylilies prefer well-drained soil. In problem areas, one way to achieve adequate drainage is to prepare raised beds.

To avoid root competition for water and nutrients, do not plant daylilies near shrubs or trees if possible. If you can’t avoid it, be sure to give them extra water and fertilizer to make up for what the other plants take. An exception is in the South, where daylilies perform well under pine trees, benefiting from their dappled shade.

Yes, but you have to make sure to have a large enough container, and you have to keep them well-watered (every day in the summer heat). For smaller-stature plants (typically the ones with smaller blooms), you’ll want at least a 12″ diameter pot, 15-18″ will be better. Larger varieties will need larger pots.

In zone 7 or colder, you will need to protect your potted daylilies over the winter. Here at our nursery (zone 6/7), we put our potted daylilies in an unheated cold frame. Other options for protection would be to bunch pots together and cover with straw, or to put in a crawl space or garage. The colder your winters, the more protection they will need, because daylilies may very well die if your pots freeze solid.

You can divide any daylily clump that has two or more plants (fans), but you typically would want to wait until the clump was large enough to make at least two good-sized units with at least 3 fans each. If you divide them too small (like the plant on the left in the far right picture), they probably won’t bloom for a season or two. For more information on How To Divide Daylilies, visit our YouTube channel for video instructions.

Daylily plants come in a wide range of sizes, but here are some general guidelines to follow:

• Small Flower & Miniatures: 16″ to 24″

• Large Flowers: 18″ to 30″

• For a closer bed or border: 12″ to 18″

Some varieties increase very rapidly and will become crowded over time; sooner the closer you plant them. If you notice a decrease in blooms because of crowding you will want to divide your daylilies.

Mulching your daylilies and hand weeding are the best ways to control weeds in daylilies. They aren’t too particular about what kind of mulch. There are chemicals available to control grasses in daylilies, check with your local extension agency or garden center for what is available in your area.

Typically, no. We usually get this question when someone notices damage on their daylily blooms, perhaps caused by thrips or aphids, and usually early in the bloom season. We occasionally have some damage in our display garden (such as spotted or misshapen blooms), but we’ve found that after the first few days of the season we don’t see that damage anymore. So, we don’t spray our daylilies with anything. Feel free to give us a call or email with any additional spraying-related questions.

Daylilies aren’t picky about fertilizer.  We typically use a high quality, nitrogen rich  fertilizer each spring before the daylilies begin to bloom. Slow release fertilizer, liquid fertilizer, compost or well-rotted manure are all good choices as well. Daylilies love nitrogen so it’s important to use a mix that is high in nitrogen. It is always a good idea to have a soil test done, especially if you feel like you have an unusual soil situation.