Every morning I take a garden walk to see what is growing and what needs tending. Today, I spent the morning deadheading daylilies.
I have clumps of daylilies – hemerocallis – that have naturalized into plants with numerous blooms on them. Some of them have 12 or 13 blooms out in a day.
Since daylily blooms are short-lived, this can leave you with an untidy-looking plant in no time at all.
Normally, deadheading is a task that I don’t enjoy much. However, deadheading daylilies (and Easter lilies) is very easy, since the blooms flop over when done and are easy to remove. I find this task quite relaxing.
Daylilies are plants that both beginning gardeners and those who have been at it for a long time appreciate. These pretty perennials require very little attention, grow in almost any sunny location, and are not picky when it comes to soil.
Each daylily plant sends up large strap-like leaves and a tall flower stem called a scape. Multiple buds form on each scape but they don’t open at the same time. Each bud opens and blooms for just one day, which is the reason that the common name for hemerocallis is daylily.
Some types of daylilies will continue to produce new scapes and buds if deadheaded, so they don’t set seed.
If you examine a patch of daylilies, you’ll see that each plant is made up of these parts:
Daylilies are a popular perennial plant known for their colorful flowers and hardy nature. While daylilies bloom prolifically in late spring and summer, their appearance can quickly deteriorate after blooming finishes Proper care during this time is essential for daylilies to remain healthy, rejuvenate, and prepare for next year’s bloom This article will explain everything you need to know about caring for daylilies after they bloom.
Remove Faded Blooms and Spent Flower Stalks
Once daylily blooms start to fade, the flowers turn brown and unsightly. It’s best to deadhead spent blooms by cutting or snapping off the flower stalk right above the foliage. This encourages the plant to put energy into growing lush foliage rather than forming seed pods. Continually deadheading faded blooms throughout the bloom season will maximize total blooms.
Some daylily varieties produce a second flush of blooms in late summer or fall if old bloom stalks are promptly removed Frequent deadheading also keeps daylily plantings looking neat and tidy Use bypass pruners or garden scissors to quickly trim off faded blooms,
Cut Back Flower Scapes
After initial blooming finishes, daylilies produce tall, slender scapes topped by seedpods. Like spent blooms, these scapes divert energy away from the roots and foliage. Prune back scapes to the base of the plant after the main flush of blooms is finished.
Cutting back scapes eliminates the energy drain from seed production and channels that energy into foliage and root growth. This can help daylilies recover quicker and produce a second round of fall rebloom. Removing scapes also prevents self-sowing of daylily seeds around the garden.
Divide Overgrown Daylilies
Mature daylily clumps often outgrow their space after several seasons. Blooms diminish on overcrowded plants competing for light and nutrients. Fortunately, daylilies can be divided in summer after bloom season ends.
Divide congested clumps by digging up the entire plant and separating it into smaller clumps using a sharp spade or soil knife. Each division should have 3-5 vigorous shoots. Trim foliage to about 6 inches before replanting divisions 18-24 inches apart. Dividing daylilies every 3-5 years boosts vigor and flowering.
Apply Organic Fertilizer
After deadheading, cutting back scapes, and dividing, feed daylilies with a balanced organic fertilizer to replenish nutrients. Fertilizing in mid to late summer helps the plants recover from bloom season and grow strong for next year.
Scatter granular fertilizer around each plant, following package instructions for application rate. Water in the fertilizer to encourage rapid nutrient absorption by the roots. Organic fertilizers with an NPK ratio around 5-5-5 or 6-4-4 work well for daylilies.
Monitor Water Needs
While daylilies tolerate drought once established, regular watering is needed in summer to support growth after bloom season ends. Deeply soak the soil around each plant 1-2 times per week if rainfall is lacking. Daylilies have dense, fibrous roots concentrated in the top 12 inches of soil. Aim to keep this root zone evenly moist but not saturated.
Reduce watering frequency in early fall as daylily foliage starts to yellow. Daylilies enter dormancy once hard frosts arrive, requiring very little water until growth resumes next spring.
Remove Damaged Foliage
During summer, prolonged hot, humid weather can cause daylily foliage to yellow or develop unsightly brown spots and streaks. Prune off affected leaves at the base to maintain an attractive appearance. Removing tattered leaves also reduces disease risks.
In early fall, daylily foliage naturally starts turning yellow as it prepares for dormancy. Allow the leaves to dieback naturally during this transition period. Then cut back foliage to 2-3 inches above ground level after several hard frosts blacken the leaves.
Mulch Around Plants
Apply a 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch such as shredded bark or pine needles around each plant. Mulching helps conserve soil moisture, suppress weeds, and insulate roots from temperature extremes. Replenish the mulch as needed in fall.
Leave the mulch in place over winter. It will further protect the dormant roots and can be pulled back in spring as new growth emerges.
Stake Tall Flower Scapes
Some extra tall daylily varieties have weak, floppy scapes that tend to topple over from wind and rain. Insert 1-2 sturdy stakes around each plant in early spring before scapes elongate and gently tie the scapes to the stakes as they grow.
This prevents flopping and keeps the large blooms displayed attractively above the foliage. Staking is worthwhile for top-heavy daylily varieties like ‘Francine Joiner’ and ‘Bela Lugosi’.
Enjoy Reblooming Varieties
Many modern daylily hybrids rebloom in late summer and early fall with proper care. Popular repeat bloomers include ‘Happy Returns’, ‘Stella de Oro’, ‘Rosy Returns’, and ‘Pardon Me’. Deadhead promptly after the initial bloom cycle ends to encourage rebloom.
Daylilies that only bloom once can also be persuaded to rebloom by cutting back scapes and applying fertilizer after the first bloom flush ends. With a little TLC, you can enjoy daylilies flowering for months!
Following these simple care practices keeps daylilies looking their best after blooming finishes while ensuring excellent performance in future years. A well cared for planting of daylilies will provide beauty and pleasure for decades to come.
Deadheading daylilies – When is it time?
I take time every few days deadheading daylilies, but if time is limited for you, there are three specific times when deadheading is in order:
- When you would like to promote better bloom and a tidier plant, remove the scapes of plants that have no more buds ready to bloom to tidy up the plant and promote future bloom.
- When the plant forms seed pods, deadhead before the seed pod cracks open at the top, which is an indication that it’s forming seeds.
- In late fall or early spring, daylilies are seasonal. Once the bloom cycle is complete, this is the perfect time to deadhead.
A note on deadheading daylilies
It takes a bit of practice to get good at deadheading daylilies. If you are not careful, or try to deadhead the spent bloom too soon, you can easily damage the scape or dislodge neighboring buds which have not opened.
You might decide to wait and remove older, dry, and withered blooms instead of the fresher ones. These seem to almost fall away by themselves. However, the ovary is still left behind, attached to the flower stem.
This ovary must be removed by snapping, pinching, or cutting with shears to prevent seed production and encourage new bud growth.
Caring for Daylilies After They Bloom: Trimming Back the Garden
FAQ
What to do with daylilies after they bloom in summer?
Daylilies are strong performers in the garden.
If you deadhead them (cut off the old flower stalks at the base) you will get even more blossoms than if you leave the stalks up to form seed pods which over the summer will ripen and burst in the fall. While it isn’t necessary, doing it will get you better performance.
How to keep daylilies blooming all summer long?
How do you keep daylilies blooming all summer? To extend bloom time, deadhead spent flowers regularly to promote the formation of new buds. Reblooming varieties will flower longer than other types. Daylilies not blooming can result from too little light, poor soil, overcrowding, or from clumps being planted too deeply.