People who garden at home love daylilies more than any other perennial flower. They bloom in a variety of bright colors, don’t need much care, and are very hardy. But when the flowers fall off, many gardeners don’t know what to do to keep their plants looking good. With a little care in late summer, you can keep daylily leaves lush and get more blooms before fall.
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.
Cut each seed head off at ground level with bypass pruners. Leaving only a short piece of stem behind means the plant will keep trying to feed 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.
Fill the soil around the plants’ bases with fertilizer. Then, water the leaves to remove any leftover fertilizer. Feed plants in the summer or early fall; don’t feed them later in the fall, when winter weather could damage new growth.
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:
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Watering: Daylilies can handle drought, but they need to be watered every so often during very dry spells to keep them from going to sleep.
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Weed Control: Pull weeds to prevent competition for water and nutrients. Mulch also helps suppress weeds.
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Insect Monitoring: Watch for aphids, thrips, spider mites. Treat promptly if pests are found.
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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:
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Deadhead spent blooms regularly to conserve energy for new blooms.
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Remove seed heads/scapes as soon as they appear to prevent resource drain.
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Apply fertilizer or worm castings to help plants recover and rebloom.
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Divide overcrowded plants in summer to rejuvenate beds.
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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. Cutting back each plant at this point will help it become easier to handle and will also help it grow 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.