How to Maintain Daylilies

Popular daylilies enhance many beautiful flower gardens. The lovely flowers are not a true lily however, they resemble the lily and they only blossom for one day. There are over 30,000 different types of daylilies. You can enhance your garden with beautiful, blossoming daylilies.

1. Plant the daylilies in the sun. For the best results the daylilies will need to have at least 4 hours of sunlight each day. A South, East or Southeastern exposure works best for daylilies. Keep the plants free of weeds and remove any dead leaves from each plant. You may wish to line the rows with plastic to prevent weeds. This will also increase the amount of heat to the roots which will give you a robust plant. 


2. Water the daylilies once per week. Lay the water hose flat on the ground. Allow the water to run so the water soaks down for a few inches. Let the water run slowly so it does not wash away the top soil. You may want to put the hose on a timer so you do not over water the daylilies. 


3. Remove the old blossoms. After the daylily has blossomed you will need to remove the flower. Remember the daylily flower only lasts for one day. Removing the flower will allow the plant to develop young vibrant flowers. This will keep the plant blooming all summer. If you do not cut off the flower the plants energy will go to producing more green foliage.


4. Fertilize the plants. Daylilies require a low nitrogen fertilizer. Use a fertilizer such as 3-7-3. Fertilize once in the spring and then again in late summer or early fall. After you fertilize the plants thoroughly water the plants so they absorb the fertilizer.


5. Thin out the plants. As your daylilies grow they will start to look crowded. By thinning out the plants you will keep the daylilies looking healthy and robust. Discard any weak or thin plants. If the plant is healthy you can transplant the daylily into another section of your garden.