If so... do they live (in good health) forever?

Or do they peter out after a while?

Mine aren't looking so hot. I do feed and water them, but even the ones that I top-dressed with a generous 2" of compost this spring have more dead leaves than live ones.

Is this normal? Or are they sick?

I think, like most perennials, daylilies need to be divided every 3 to 5 years to stay healthy.

I never do anything with mine and they stay healthy and bloom every year. I've been in this house 3 years now and will probably separate some next year, as they have spread every year since we moved in.

I agree. They are very hardy but need to be divided.

Hmmm... as I think of it, they did seem to improve for about three years before then declined.

Here in NY - where we will probably be frost-free for most of September yet - do you think there's still time to divide them this season?

If you divide them, let them air out for a day or two so the "injured" part can dry out and "heal" the part where you've separated. Otherwise, they could get mouldy and slimey!

(and die)

Absolutely, Daylilies can survive almost anything, you could divide now and have time for them to recover before frost.

I agree with the comments above! I think they'll like to be divided and should do fine! This hasn't been the best year for mine (I divided last year) but it has been extremely dry and hot after a very cold winter (for us...) so I think it's been a reaction to the unusual weather possibly.

i dont do much with mine except divide once in a while

I have just toss them to the side not have time to replant and they rooted themselves. They will be fine. :roll:

Daylilies by nature are short lived, they only bloom for a day or so. Different varieties bloom at different times. As soon as they are done blooming, I pull the dead leaves away & many of my day lilies are blooming a 2nd time now. Stella Dora variety which are yellow keep blooming all summer.

Daylilies love being divided....rule of thumb for them is 1st year they sleep...2nd year they creep..third year they leap...they dont require much at all in form of fertilization...and seem to thrive on neglect most of the time...I have over 150 colors and keep going back each year to the daylily farm to get more...flowers and fabric are my addiction and I am not willing to look for a 12 step program

I am in your climate zone and have no trouble with mine. They stop blooming and some of the edges turn brown as the summer ends. I just cut mine all back to about 6 inches for the winter and they come back with a vengence! I haven't yet seperated them in 5 years. Maybe next summer...LOL

I never do anything to mine except cut them back in the Fall. This is the time of the year they start to die back. They will be fine.

Agree with many posts... divide this time of year and give some away to some friends or spread them out to a new area of the yard. They're wonderful plants to have and to give away, too!

I have the Asian ones and the tiger day lilies. They both thrive at my house. I never fertilize them especially the tiger type ones. The Asian ones don't get a chance to fizzle out they get moved a lot...my addiction I guess....lol...

I have good old fashioned ditch or school lilies - the orange one. Can't kill them.
Don't know about the prettier ones. Got some this year will see how they do next year.

Mine require dividing every few years. After dividing they are a bit slow, then the next year spectacular again!

Could someone explain to a new gardener ( garden came with the house) how to divide them and what was meant by letting them dry out. Also what do you mean by pulling the leaves?

Do I do the same with Iris.. When do I plant crocus & daffodils and myrtle.

What happens with iris, daylillies, anything like that is they grow more roots, bulbs, corms, whatever they "use" underground over the years to spread. It looks like one big bulby root ball, all connected together. Where you separate the bundle into smaller bundles, you're going to cut or break away sections. That raw end can get mushy if you just put it back in the ground. It's gotta heal itself a little bit so the moisture from the plant isn't weeping out. Some plants are more tolerant than others, I just let each type air out a little.

Irises, you just dig up and send the surplus to ME!!! :D :D :D

Any of those early flowering things like crocus, tulip, daffodil can be planted in the fall for spring blooms. If something happens where you don't get to it, you can store them in the fridge for a few weeks, by themselves, and then plant them early spring. They need that cold spell to bloom.

Happy gardening!

The Stella Dora , come in a red, or purple, or pink now. They are great !

My mother, an avid gardener, used to say that she didn't know of anything you could do to a daylily that would kill it. I would go ahead and transplant it. Even if it starts to look bad I will bet it will be back in the Spring. Ann in TN

Thanks Rebecca. These are weird Irises. The leaves aren't too high but the flowers are about 45 inches off the ground and they're a lot smaller flowers than the irises I'm used to seeing. But the hummingbirds and the bees loved them this spring. If you'd like some, I'd be happy to send some to you if I can figure out how.

It was funny because we weren't sure if they were a plant or a weed, my hubby wanted to pull them up but I figured let everything grow to see what it was. We have tall black eyed susans and shorter ones, the irises and a few coneflowers in that section. I'd like to plant some myrtle and crocus and other small flowering plant throughout the front yard which is mostly wild strawberries (which are great - no maintenance) with a little hay or something on the edges. I'd like to have it all flowers and wild strawberries, both my hubby and I are getting older and I don't want something that will have to be to mowed constantly or very vigorously maintained. we're thinking about throwing out a bunch of wildflower seeds and planting some real strawberries and a small veggie garden.

Where do you find these new Stella Dora? Haven't seen them in my area. From a Marylander transplanted into a Hoosier. LOL!

Mine were planted a dozen bulbs at a time, over a few year stretch, about 8-12 years ago. I divided them after 4 years and they were gorgeous. Should have done it this year and didn't and they had no bloom, although the foliage is lovely.

In my zone (6), daylilies can be divided spring or fall. I think I have a job this month if I want a riot of color next year.

JEANINMAINE...you actually may have some Japanese Iris or something similar...possibly even Peacock orchids. Daylilies can be divided or transplanted almost anytime but the perfect time for them is after they have bloomed and right before they start a resting season....
which is usually last of July until the first of August. (Per my daylily buddies bith of whom our daylily farms...combined farms of over 20,000 daylilies) You can take a spade or a sharp knife and break the clump of daylilies into smaller pieces...let the divisions dry for a few days before replanting to heal or cuts scab over.

Mine are doing fine, even thru the drought. I have them all in the late afternoon shade as Arkansas gets so dang hot. The one I left in the sun is dead, dead,dead. I've had mine for 20 years and divided once. Now I have smaller plants growing next to the "mama" so I will divide them this fall and replant in March. At least thats how I do it.

Mine are doing fine, even thru the drought. I have them all in the late afternoon shade as Arkansas gets so dang hot. The one I left in the sun is dead, dead,dead. I've had mine for 20 years and divided once. Now I have smaller plants growing next to the "mama" so I will divide them this fall and replant in March. At least thats how I do it.

mine bloom in the spring

Its time for them to die down

You are right. You leave them alone, except for the division of the plants. I quarter mine at dividing time, keep one quarter, share the rest otherwise they will grow like crazy - note the day lilies on the sides of the road - they are huge.

There are early bloomers, mid-bloomers and late bloomers, so you can have them in bloom practically all summer long. I pick off the spent flowers (every day - they're day lilies and they last a day) and cut down the stem when all the flowers are spent. You don't want energy from the bulbs going anywhere else except the bulbs and the leaves. I cut them back in September when I divide them (if necessary). The leaves get a tad straggly and this way also you are centering the energy to the bulbs at this time. Yes, they do last forever. Have you ever gone to the compost area that the cities have and you see piles and piles of day lilies that are thrown out. Take a couple of little clumps and plant them and see what you get next spring. You may have a real sweetheart of a lily. I have one that blooms before the tulips, a deep yellow and is only about 2" across. It is my pride and joy! Got it from a neighbor who didn't realize what a little treasure she had. You can also sell them at neighborhood plant sales in the spring and fall. We have those here in our area. Boy there are a lot of lilies and Hostas. (I am not a hosta fan)!
Beautiful weather here this week, so our lilies are going to get a good cutting back now. Good gardening!!!!! Edie

You can do almost anything the daylillies at any time of year without any ill effects. I have found that it is easier to divide anything in the Spring, though, because of the smaller size of the plant and less foliage to be dealt with. Established daylillies can be a chore to divide. Best method that works for me is one person to help and two pitchforks. If doing it by yourself, a cutting spade makes quick work of it. Just be sure you're using clean tools.

I have used a hand axe on some clumps with no ill effects.

' I have used a hand axe on some clumps with no ill effects'

Me too although I usually use an old steak knife that I keep with my gardening tools. I've have many colors and types over the 50 years I've lived here and the tall orange ones you see along the roads in the East have outlasted them all, they seem to be native to my area. Every 3-5 years I would dig them up, divide them and transplant or give away the new plants, Sept. is a good time to do this in the East. Very hardly plants, I threw a bare root one on top of my compost pile and after a cold and snowy Winter it bloomed in the Spring.

'Stella D'Ora's are a little different than most daylilies, they are a shorter plant and their yellow flowers bloom several times over the summer.

From a "almost neighbor" (near Syracuse). It took me several years to plant daylillies in our side yard along a small creek -- if they ever need to be separated and divided, I'll shoot myself!!!! I can't keep up with the yard work now..........

This reminded me how great these plants can be. My son had a narrow 12" strip of dirt between the house & drive that always seem to flood & turn to mud. I planted orange day lilies there and the water problems stopped. They are still there - still stopping the flooding mud even though they've been cut back numerous times.

Yep. sounds like they need to be divided. Like Jim in Bardstown, KY I collect both fabric and daylilies, but my number of different varities is only 58. Daylilies are tough and you just can't kill them. So, get out your shovel, pry bar and axe if you have one and dig, pry and dig. Lift that clump out of the ground. Wash as much soil out of the clump and start whacking so that you get at least two fans per division. Do let them dry overnight and then plant. I have dug out clumps before and never got them divided, just set them on the ground and they rooted where I put them. Reminds me that I have to add digging, dividing and planting daylilies to my chore list.

Ours petered out this year. Disappointing but they have provided years of beauty. I think they just got tired.

My question is, "Do deer like them?" Or are they concidered "deer resistant." Where I live, deer are all around us.

at this time of the year here in Illinois, they generally do look old and worn out. But when spring comes, they look terrific. I have had daylilies for years and years, never have they not bloomed in spring and summer.

Regarding deer, I thought this website gave some interesting insight:
http://www.loudounwildlife.org/HHBac...feDownside.htm