How Are Daylilies Raised?

Due to the efforts of scientists and devoted hobbyists, daylilies, once considered weeds, provide acknowledged beauty in American gardens. Hundreds of local and state societies work within the American Hemerocallis Society (AHS) to set standards for raising daylilies.

Propagation

• Two methods of propagation are recognized by the AHS to keep hybrid cultivars true to their breed. New plants are taken by division of existing crowns or removal of "offsets" — little shoots of leaves that may grow on scapes as the plant flowers.

Youth

• Daylily fan crowns must sit no deeper than an inch in well-drained soil, amended with organic compost or well- rotted manure; keep young roots cool with an inch of organic mulch. Young plants grow in groups of the same variety in nurseries — raised beds, greenhouse flats or open fields, depending on the climate. For vigorous growth, daylilies need moist soil and plenty of sun

Maturity

• Plants grow larger for several years until the plant begins to bloom. When it begins to bloom, additional crowns will form where scapes fall off in autumn. Slow-release fertilizer applied after bloom improves vigor. Three-year-old plants are ready to be sold or moved to the main garden.