How to Split Daylily Plants
Daylily plants bloom in mid summer in a variety of colors. Each flower blooms for only one day; however, each stem grows enough flowers to maintain a steady period of blooms for three weeks. You should split daylilies every four to five years for the largest amount of flowers. Once you learn how to split daylily plants, you should divide them at the end of summer or at the beginning of fall.
Supplies
- Rake
- Two Garden Forks
- Shovel
- Soil
- Mulch
- Water
- Scissors
Instructions
- Rake the mulch out from under and around the daylily plants that you are splitting.
- Position a garden fork down into the dirt, approximately 6 to 12 inches from the bottom of the plants. Push down on the handle of the garden fork and carefully pry the clump of dirt and the daylily plants up and out of the ground. Repeat this process around the entire clump of plants that you are splitting until the roots are free from the soil.
- Lift the plants, along with the ball of roots, from the hole. Do this carefully so that you do not damage the roots or plants.
- Separate the large clump into smaller clumps for planting by pushing two garden forks into the clump and pulling the handles apart. Repeat this process for the number of smaller clumps desired.
- Use the shovel to dig a wide hole that is 6 to 9 inches wider than the root wad. Dig the depth a little less than the root wad height.
- Position the root wad in the hole and fill the hole with soil. Lightly pat the soil into place around the daylily plant.
- Apply 1 inch of mulch around the plant to protect the roots and deter weeds.
- Water the plant and the surrounding area of the plant thoroughly.
- Cut the plants to a length of about 12 inches if desired. This will help the daylilies to retain moisture.