| Their remarkable adaptability makes growing | | | | and daylilies with shallow root systems are much |
| daylilies easy and carefree in just about any | | | | more susceptible to insects, disease, and |
| conditions. | | | | environmental stress. During long periods of little |
| Because of their extensive and robust root | | | | rain or very hot temperatures, soak the soil to a |
| systems, daylilies are very efficient when it | | | | depth of about eight inches once a week. |
| comes to storing water. This makes them | | | | Food Requirements |
| remarkably tolerant of dry conditions. Well | | | | Daylilies respond beautifully to proper fertilization, |
| established plants rarely need to be watered in | | | | which is important to getting the most blooms |
| any but the hottest, dryest conditions, but there | | | | and the best color as well as to the overall health |
| are some special cases in which additional water is | | | | of the plant. |
| important to daylilies. | | | | Most experts agree that feeding twice a year |
| New plants need to be watered thoroughly and | | | | with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer is best. Do |
| regularly for a week or ten days. This is crucial to | | | | the first feeding early in the spring, after the |
| giving their root systems a chance to adapt to | | | | plants have started their spring growth spurt but |
| the new conditions, and a healthy root system is | | | | well before the flowering season. The second |
| the key to a beautiful, profusely flowering daylily. | | | | feeding should be done after the flowering season |
| During the flowering season daylilies may need | | | | but before the first frost. |
| some additional water. If rainfall is light or | | | | Daylilies aren't heavy feeders, so beware of |
| infrequent you will need to water the plants | | | | over-fertilizing them; more isn't necessarily better. |
| weekly during the flowering season in order to | | | | In fact too much fertilizer can result in |
| get the maximum number of blooms. | | | | super-abundant foliage with few flowers, and in |
| When you do water daylilies, it's important to be | | | | red or orange strains, too much fertilizer can |
| thorough about it. Frequent light waterings will | | | | cause the color of the flowers to become dull or |
| make the plants develop shallow root systems, | | | | muddy. |