Daylily trimming after bloom time will keep these beauties tidy and disease-free. Trim the plants back after they bloom and before you divide them.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Daylilies are one of the most popular perennials for home gardeners. They bloom brightly in a range of colors, are low maintenance, and quite hardy. But when those blooms start fading, many gardeners wonder what they should do next to keep their plants looking good. With a bit of late summer care, you can keep daylily foliage lush while also getting more blooms before fall arrives!
Deadheading Spent Blooms
Once daylily flowers start fading, the first step is deadheading – removing the spent blooms back to the base of the plant This conserves the plant’s energy so it can focus on new blooms instead of trying to revive old ones Leave blooms on too long and they’ll just drain resources without benefiting the plant.
Use clean bypass pruners or scissors to snip off each faded bloom where it meets the main stem Making this quick cut prevents the plant from wasting energy on blooms that can’t be salvaged Do this regularly as blooms fade to keep plants blooming vigorously.
Removing Seed Heads
In addition to deadheading, also remove any seed heads that develop after initial blooming. Daylilies don’t need seed heads to survive, but forming them uses substantial energy. Removing seed heads – also called scapes – soon after they appear ensures the plant directs its resources toward foliage and reblooming.
Follow each seed head down to ground level and trim it off with bypass pruners. Leaving just a stub of the stem means the plant will keep trying to send nutrients to it. Cutting at the base completely removes the energy draw.
Feeding Plants to Encourage Reblooming
While daylilies are relatively undemanding, fertilizing after the first bloom helps them recover and rebloom. An all-purpose granular fertilizer or worm castings provides a nutrient boost that aids root development, foliage health, and stored energy for future blooms.
Apply fertilizer around the base of the plants, then water to wash any residue off the leaves. Fertilize in summer or early fall – avoid later fall feeding when new growth could get damaged by winter weather.
Dividing Overgrown Plants Mid-Summer
Mature daylily clumps that have outgrown their space can be divided in summer after blooming subsides. Dividing reinvigorates plants by reducing crowding and rejuvenates your beds with new plant divisions.
To divide daylilies, dig up the whole clump and cut back the foliage. Then separate the root mass into smaller sections using a sharp shovel or knife. Replant the divisions and water well. Their reduced leaf mass helps them recover more rapidly after replanting.
Continuing Care Through Summer
With deadheading, fertilizing, and dividing handled, continue caring for daylilies through summer with:
-
Watering: Daylilies are drought tolerant, but water occasionally during very dry periods to keep plants from going dormant.
-
Weed Control: Pull weeds to prevent competition for water and nutrients. Mulch also helps suppress weeds.
-
Insect Monitoring: Watch for aphids, thrips, spider mites. Treat promptly if pests are found.
-
Staking: Stake larger varieties if needed to keep flower scapes upright.
Proper post-bloom care keeps daylilies flowering vigorously into fall. By deadheading, removing seed heads, fertilizing, dividing, and practicing ongoing maintenance, your plants will stay healthy and possibly give you a second round of flowers. Daylilies thrive with just a little late summer attention.
Key Points for Caring for Daylilies After Blooming:
-
Deadhead spent blooms regularly to conserve energy for new blooms.
-
Remove seed heads/scapes as soon as they appear to prevent resource drain.
-
Apply fertilizer or worm castings to help plants recover and rebloom.
-
Divide overcrowded plants in summer to rejuvenate beds.
-
Continue watering, weeding, staking as needed for plant health.
With proper care after flowering, daylilies will continue lighting up your garden well into fall!
Daylily Trimming Made Simple – How And When To Cut Back Daylilies
Daylily trimming is an important part of upkeep and maintenance of these beautiful plants. They establish themselves quickly, and require only a minimal amount of care. In this article, we will explore when and how to prune daylilies properly, with a special emphasis on preparing the plant for winter.
When to Trim Daylilies
The best time to prune daylilies depends on your growing zone. Though pruning is not generally required, it can be used to maintain the plant’s appearance and keep flower beds looking tidy. Deadheading, or removing old flowers is also beneficial.
Cutting back plants just after they have finished blooming can refresh a tired flower bed. Routine trimming can help to prevent disease. If you see damaged or suspect stems, you should trim and remove them from the garden. Do this during periods of active growth to rejuvenate your plants and prevent the spread of any potential problems.
Daylilies respond well to pruning that’s done before you divide the plants. Trimming each plant at this time will help to make it more manageable in terms of size, and will help to encourage growth after new divisions have been made. Daylilies are most commonly divided in spring, though experienced growers have found success at most any point throughout the summer.
Caring for Daylilies After They Bloom: Trimming Back the Garden
FAQ
What to do with daylilies after they’re done blooming?
Each daylily flower lasts just one day. To keep the plants looking their best, snap off the spent flowers, taking care not to disturb nearby buds. Once the scape (stem) has finished blooming, you can cut it back to the ground to keep the plant looking neat and prevent it from putting energy into seed production.
How do you keep daylilies blooming all summer?
Reblooming daylilies flower continuously, more or less all summer long. The keys to keeping rebloomers blooming are watering and deadheading.Apr 19, 2019