Hemerocallis “Stella de Oro” day lilies (which have bright yellow, ruffled blossoms) add color to garden beds and borders. They need a spot near the front of the garden bed because these dwarf day lilies only reach heights of 9 to 12 inches. The day lilies “Stella de Oro” bloom continuously. They begin to bloom in the late spring and keep on blooming until the late summer or early fall. When planted outside in the spring or fall, these perennials thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 10. However, strong potted plants can also withstand summer planting in the garden bed.
In a garden bed with good drainage, add a 2- to 3-inch layer of compost to the soil. The “Stella de Oro” day lilies bloom best in full-sun beds that receive six to eight hours of sunshine each day, however they may withstand full morning sun and little afternoon shade if necessary.
Using a hoe, spade, or power tiller, mix the compost into the top 8 inches of the soil. In order to increase the moisture and nutrient properties of the bed and promote better day lily growth, compost adds nutrients and organic material.
With a trowel, dig planting holes that are 12 to 18 inches apart all around. Make each hole slightly wider but at the same depth as the daylily pot. Each hole should have a little pile of dirt at the bottom.
Approximately once per week, give “Stella de Oro” daylilies 1 to 2 inches of water. A 2-inch mulch layer on top of the soil helps keep moisture in check. To promote additional flowering on each plant, remove faded spent blossoms as soon as possible.
Which month should daylilies be planted?
There aren’t many perennial plants that are simpler to grow than daylilies. Due of its low maintenance requirements and extensive color options, it is a favorite of both novice and seasoned gardeners. Similar to a broad-leaved ornamental grass, daylily leaves give texture to the garden when they are not in bloom.
How to Choose Daylilies
From the thousands of little yellow plants you find in office parks to the tall orange trees “Ditch lilies come in a variety of sizes and hues and are commonly found blooming beside rural roadsides. While some have distinctive colors, some kinds have ruffled petals (including purple). For season-long flowers, plant a blend of early-, mid-, and late-season kinds “Reblooming cultivars will maximize the floral power in your garden.
Where to Plant Daylilies
Daylilies are planted in large numbers along the sides of interstates for a reason—they are hardy plants! Plant daylilies in locations with six or more hours of direct sunlight each day and in soil that isn’t often wet for the best results. When planted in large groups, daylilies put on a spectacular display. They are perfect for providing color around home foundations in front of shrub plantings or to complete a perennial garden.
When to Plant Daylilies
For optimal results, plant daylilies in late spring or early fall. But if you come across a plant during a summer sale that you simply must have, bring it home right now and plant it. Simply watch it carefully and water it frequently throughout the first two weeks.
How to Prepare the Soil for Planting Daylilies
Daylilies can grow in a range of soil types, but they will grow best in slightly damp, well-drained soil that is high in organic matter. Utilize Miracle-Gro Garden Soil for Flowers to prepare fresh planting sites. The top 6 to 8 inches of native soil should be mixed with 3 inches of garden soil. Additionally, you can enhance the soil in each planting hole by mixing 50:50 Miracle-Gro Garden Soil for Flowers with the current soil. Be sure to read the section below on “How to Feed Daylilies” if you want to know how to combine the power of outstanding soil with the proper plant food for beautiful results.
How to Plant Daylilies
There are two ways to buy and sell daylilies. They occasionally arrive as bare-root plants, often known as “fans,” which are clumps of roots, leaves, and a developing stem. But the majority of daylilies are cultivated in containers. Prepare a hole that is twice as large and precisely as deep as the plant’s root system before planting either variety. If using a plant from a container, place it in the hole and then fill up the area around the roots. Make a mound in the planting hole with part of the removed soil mixture if you are planting a bare-root daylily. Place roots on top of the mound and surround them with vegetation. Make sure the plant’s crown, which is where the roots and stems meet the leaves, is just above the soil line when it is planted and not buried. Plants should be well-watered before mulch is applied to keep the soil evenly moist.
How to Water Daylilies
For the first few weeks following planting, you’ll need to water the plants every other day or so. For the remainder of the initial growth season, water once or twice per week (depending on whether or not it has rained). If your region is not experiencing drought, you shouldn’t need to water daylilies during the second growing season and beyond (4 or more weeks without measurable rainfall). Daylilies can withstand drought once they are established.
How to Feed Daylilies
Use Miracle-Gro to start feeding daylilies a month after planting. Thanks in part to natural ingredients that help nourish plants above and below the soil, Shake ‘n Feed Rose & Bloom Plant Food will help them continue to grow big and strong. Shake the food onto the ground evenly. To begin the feeding, work the fertilizer into the top 1 to 3 inches of the soil. Make sure to heed the label’s instructions regarding how much and how frequently to apply.
How to Prevent Pest Problems with Daylilies
Although daylilies often don’t cause too many issues, deer do enjoy nibbling on the blooms. Spray plants with Tomcat Deer Repellent on a regular basis (as directed on the label) if deer are a concern. They dislike the taste and smell produced by the formula made with essential oils.
How to Deadhead Daylilies
Daylily blooms do indeed only bloom for one day. The following morning, remove any dead blooms from plants to keep them clean. Cut a bloom stalk down to the ground once all of its blossoms have opened. Shear back foliage if it starts to look ragged in the middle of the summer.
How to Divide Daylilies
Plants that create clumps include daylilies. As the plants get older, clumps may get congested and produce fewer blooms. Digging up the entire plant, after flowering in the early fall, is how you divide plants. You can either use a pointed spade to cut the plant into pieces or shake the soil off and gently pry apart the roots. (The first method gives you more divisions, but the second method is quicker.) Replant immediately.
Getting ready to start daylily gardening? To learn more about a product, to buy it online, or to locate a retailer near you, click on any of the product links above.
Planting Instructions
Daylilies need 4-6 hours of direct sunlight every day, thus they should be planted in full sun or mild shade. Even though daylilies require full sun, there are occasionally blossoms under the cover of large trees. The daylily blossoms will always face away from any shadow and upward toward the sky. Avoid high dry locations above ledges where the soil is shallow and low wet spots where water collects during rainy spells.
Any time the ground can be worked, whether it’s in the spring, summer, or fall, daylilies can be planted with great success. To avoid winter frost heaving, mulch should be applied to daylilies planted in the fall. We advise you to plant your daylilies as soon as you get them. The roots should be placed in water for an hour before planting, but, if they will be stored for several days.
Approximately the size of the pot, dig the hole. Remove the daylily from the pot, untangle the roots, and set it into the hole with the surrounding dirt tightly packed.
Until you are ready to plant, keep in a cool area. Roots should be soaked in water for an hour prior to planting if kept for several days. Create a hole and place a cone of earth inside. Cone-shaped roots should be spread out, and the crown should be slightly below ground. One inch of earth should be pressed down tightly around the plant’s crown. Give newly planted daylilies plenty of water.
The best soil is loose, loamy soil. Clay, gravel, and sand quality is very low. Compost, decaying leaves or wood chips, old manure, or almost any other organic substance can enhance poor soil.
If the daylily will be divided and replanted in a border of mixed perennial flowers in three to five years, leave a circle of 16 to 18 inches in diameter. It needs a 24–30 inch spacing if you plan to leave the daylily clump in place for 10–15 years. A border of daylily flowers follows the same rules. Daylily plants should be placed in a triangle configuration with each plant 24 inches apart from its neighbors in a landscape setting, such as a bank that will be covered in the flowers. 30 daylily plants will consequently be needed for a bank that is 100 square feet. (Add 0.304 to the square footage.) Plant the daylily seeds 12 to 18 inches apart in a straight line as an edging along a walkway.
Mulch between one and four inches thick will help keep the soil moist and prevent weeds from growing among the daylily plants. While grass clippings, leaves, hay, wood chips, and other organic materials are appropriate, their slow breakdown draws nitrogen from the soil. Particularly with recently cut wood chips, you might want to add some fertilizer. Daylilies planted in the fall should have a thick layer of mulch applied to the area the first year to keep the earth from freezing and heaving them out of the ground.
Plant nutrients are rarely insufficient in organic compost soil. Add any slow-releasing, composted organic matter, such as horse, sheep, or cow manure, or your own compost, in the spring or the fall to sustain good daylily growth.
How far apart should you plant daylilies?
Daylilies thrive in areas with six or more hours in direct sunlight each day. In extremely hot areas, some midday shade is beneficial. Although they may withstand some shade, fewer flowers should bloom.
Daylilies do well on healthy garden soil. Remove any rocks or debris and soften the soil to a depth of 18 inches before planting. Add some compost to your sandy soil if it tends to dry up quickly to help it maintain moisture. Additionally, compost will lighten the texture of heavy clay soil, which will make it easier for your young daylilies’ roots to expand and flourish.
Daylilies eventually grow to form substantial clusters that can reach a diameter of three feet. Therefore, you can prevent having to dig and transplant your new plants as they grow in by initially spacing them two feet or more apart. Place your new plants approximately 18 apart, though, if you want more impact in the first few years. The plants can then be moved outside after a few years.
Planting Season: You can plant daylilies in the early spring or the early fall (at least one month before you expect a hard frost).
When planting, dig a hole that is about one foot deep, loosen the dirt to a diameter of two feet, and then fill the center of the hole with soil.
- With the bulbous roots angled outward and slightly downward, position the plant’s crown in the middle of the mound.
- Add soil around the roots gradually, carefully tamping it as you go to remove air pockets.
- Water everything thoroughly after it is two-thirds full of the hole and once more once the soil has been added.
- The crown after planting should not protrude more than an inch below the soil’s surface.
Which fertilizer works best for Stella d’Oro daylilies?
The “Stella de Oro daylily (Hemerocallis “Stella de Oro”) has 400 blossoms every year on a single plant and can flower for two months or longer. Each bloom only lasts for one day before being swiftly replaced every morning by newly opened buds. U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 10 are where Stella de Oro can be found growing. The maximum number of flowers can be produced by your daylilies with proper care, which helps to increase blooming.
A well-drained garden bed should be covered with a 2-inch layer of compost or well-composted manure. Before planting the daylilies, work the compost into the top 6 inches of the soil to promote wholesome development and bloom output. To promote the best flowering, pick a location that receives at least six hours of sun each day.
Stella de Oro daylilies should be spaced 18 to 24 inches apart all around. Fewer blooms are produced as a result of overcrowding, and the plants are more vulnerable to pests and diseases that could harm the flowers and foliage.
Daylilies need to be watered as soon as they are planted until the soil feels damp throughout the root zone. For the first six to eight weeks following planting, until the daylilies are firmly established and setting buds, keep giving the plants a thorough watering once a week. Despite their drought resistance, they bloom best when given an inch of water each week once they are established.
When the petals begin to fade, pinch off the old flower buds so that the daylily can focus its energy on developing new buds rather than seed. After all of the flower’s buds have opened and finished blooming, trim the flower stem back to its base. On a “Stella de Oro,” frequent deadheading promotes optimum flowering.
After flowering in the late summer, use a low-nitrogen fertilizer, such as a 10-16-10 blend. The first number in the blend, which represents nitrogen, should be lower than the second number, which represents phosphorus, in appropriate all-purpose fertilizers. Each daylily should have 1 to 2 teaspoons of fertilizer scattered around it, 6 inches from the plant’s base. Apply water after fertilization to help the fertilizer ingest the soil.
Remove any flower buds that develop swelling or other abnormalities and stop blooming because they are affected by gall. Quick removal stops the issue from spreading, allowing the surviving buds to flourish. If aphids or other insect pests become a problem, spray the daylilies with an insecticidal soap that is ready to use since they may transmit disease or weaken the plants. Apply the soap again every three to five days for a maximum of three times.
Only trim back daylily foliage after it has naturally died back in the fall. Even after flowering, the leaves keeps the plant alive into the fall, which boosts the growth of flower buds the next year.