A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Overcrowded daylilies

I have several thick "clumps" of daylilies on my new property that seem quite overcrowded. I wasn't sure what they were at first so I didn't separate them. Some of the blades are turning yellow in the undergrowth of the clumps and I'm afraid they will die off. Should I leave them be and see if they bloom anyway? I noticed a few buds on other daylilies in the yard but nothing on these yet, although the other buds just started popping up the last few days. Here is a picture...




Thanks!
Joanne

I had a situation like that with one like that once and it didn't bloom until I divided it. Then I had plants galore and plenty of blooms. But the ones I had bloomed in late summer not now. So I don't have any specific information for yours. Good luck with them.

Those plants look fine. It is pretty normal to get a few yellowing leaves. ust pull them off and hope it's not RUST! It's also normal for different varieties to bloom at different times. You can wait and divide them early next spring if you like because blooms do suffer a bit when the clumps get too large.

Thanks for the info. I just looked up daylily rust and don't think that is the problem. I'll wait and see what happens before dividing. I don't have the new area ready for them yet anyway.

One last question... do the buds look different on various varieties of daylilies? We seem to have two very different type buds popping up. I hope this means they are not all the same kind! <keeping my fingers crossed>

Joanne

Alot of times you'll find cause it's at the
base of a house, you get a different micro~climate and it's alot hotter there..
Water a little more *and that will also mean,
more flowers, they like alot of water from spring time on to produce abundance of blooms*
Also, if it's a raised bed, it drains faster so that means even hotter..
And those look like the orange daylilies,
and those are extremely hardy and tough...

Hi Weezie,

We've had a lot of chilly weather and rain here the past week or two. Could the yellowing be caused from too much water? That would make sense considering how wet things have been.

The orange daylilies are pretty. I'm hoping to mix in a variety over the next few years once I see what is already here.

Joanne

Oh wait, if the yellowing was from too much water then all the daylilies would be doing the same. Nevermind!! I'll check the area and see if they need a drink.

Joanne

We figured out what our daylily problem is. The downspout in that corner is not working properly and the flower bed was being flooded during heavy rain. We fixed the downspout but the daylilies don't seem to be faring too well. Here are pictures from this morning:




The undergrowth is almost completely dead now. Will these come back next year so I can divide and move them or do I need to do that now? The ground is still damp but should dry out soon with the sudden heat wave we are having. Being a complete newbie to gardening, I have no idea what to do!

Joanne

Have you had any critters tunneling under it?

My only other thought would be that the house and the base of the house is too hot for that type of plant..
They are extremely winter hardy, found along road sides and can take cold...
I see your house is brick, which can be warm, and the base of the house can be warm and if it's in a sunny location adds yet more warmth..

Or a grub like that is feeding on the roots may also be the culprit??

*Mine are being trampled to death by 4 baby fluff~ball woodchucks.., but I'll have to check under mine to see what mine look like..
We've been havin' some funky weather and temps'*

You might want to dig out some roots and see what they look like....I suspect too much moisture is doing that to your lilies...pull out the dead stuff and hope they dry out a bit....

I'm hoping now that the downspout is fixed the area will dry out. I was planning on dividing and moving the whole bunch this fall but don't know what to do with them now. I'll dig one up to see what the roots look like and let you know. Thanks!

Joanne

Really, I don't think it would hurt to relocate them now.....at least a few to thin them out...
they are pretty hardy...good luck!!!

Netwiz, although you have some yellowing your lillies should be fine. Overcrowding can cause some of this due to competition for nutrients. If you are moving them you will find that it is fairly difficult to kill these plants. They tolerate alot more than many other perenials. Just remember that if the new location has a much different climate (more sun, less sun) you may have some initial adjustment time for the plants depending on their preferences. Give them a little love and they reward you with a lot of love. If you find that they are the same color, you will find that a lot of other gardeners will be happy to trade with you for different colors. Just a thought.