Among gardeners' favorite perennials, the daylily stands out. This easy-to-grow plant delights with its blooms from spring to fall, brightening the garden with vibrant colors. To ensure lush summer blooms, the daylily must be properly prepared for winter in the fall: pruned, fertilized, and covered before the cold weather sets in. It's a bit of work, but the daylily will reward you with magnificent blooms.
What is a daylily?
The daylily, as this plant is also known, is a member of the extensive Asphodelaceae family. The genus comprises over sixty thousand varieties and hybrids, each distinguished by petal color and flowering time.
This perennial is low-maintenance, but grows and blooms best in sunny areas with well-drained soil. Gardeners often use containers for planting, then placing them throughout the garden.
You may be interested in:Most hybrid forms and varieties are semi-evergreen and evergreen, maintaining their ability to grow throughout the calendar year. Therefore, it is essential to carefully prepare plantings for winter cold. In the fall, a number of measures are required: trimming off wilting leaf shoots and treating with pesticides. In regions with harsh winters and a high risk of flower frost, daylilies should be covered. Particular care should be taken with exotic daylily hybrids, native to warmer climates overseas. In the northern regions of Russia, they often do not survive the winter, so it is better to grow simpler, yet frost-resistant varieties.
Preparing daylilies for winter
These plants are easy-to-grow and frost-resistant, but they depend on many external factors, including proper agricultural practices. Daylilies shouldn't be left to their own devices; it's important to prepare them for winter and minimize any risks.
Watering
While daylilies are watered 1-2 times a week in summer, they generally don't need watering in the fall. Occasionally, the soil around the bushes should be moistened, provided there has been no rain for a long period.
Top dressing
Autumn daylily care includes fertilizing. Summer flowering takes a lot of energy, so it's important for perennials to replenish their nutrient reserves before the cold weather sets in.
Unlike spring fertilization, which involves applying a full complement of elements, potassium and phosphorus fertilizers are preferred in the fall. Potassium, in addition to promoting long, lush flowering, increases winter hardiness. Daylilies are more tolerant of cold and temperature fluctuations, and they adapt more quickly in the spring after cold spells and begin growing.
Adding phosphorus supplements, such as superphosphate and rock phosphate, is effective. Rock phosphate is a fertilizer that requires a long time to dissolve and be absorbed by plants. Therefore, the best time to apply this supplement is in the fall, so that the plant can welcome spring with renewed vigor.
Daylilies transplanted in the fall also require additional feeding. Phosphorus and potassium help the plants establish themselves more quickly in their new location, acclimate, and prepare for winter. They also promote the formation of flower buds, increase the plant's resistance to various infections and adverse weather conditions, and strengthen and improve the health of the root system.
You may be interested in:Mineral supplements are often replaced with wood ash, which has a beneficial effect on the overall development of daylilies. It contains over three dozen essential micro- and macroelements, helping to increase the plant's winter hardiness.
Fertilizers are applied in liquid form under the bushes, strictly following the instructions. The soil should be slightly moistened to prevent the solution from burning the plant roots. The fertilizer should not come into contact with the leaf rosette.
Preventive treatment with chemicals
In the fall, treat plantings with pesticides, preventing them from wintering. Plants are threatened by:
- thrips;
- gall midge;
- nematodes;
- mole cricket;
- slugs and snails.
Cleaning and pruning help protect daylilies, but spraying is essential. Insects usually migrate to the rhizomes for the winter, and only chemicals can help.
The following are used for processing:
- Decis;
- Actellic;
- Aktar;
- Bi-58.
Working solutions are prepared according to the instructions, adhering to the application rates. To prevent daylily diseases, copper-containing solutions (HOM, Oxychom), as well as Fitosporin or Discor, are used.
It is recommended to regularly disinfect agricultural equipment throughout the season (for example, with a bleach solution), including after finishing work before winter storage.
Pruning in autumn
After flowering ends, as cold weather approaches, daylilies look untidy. Leaves on dormant varieties begin to dry up and die, and flower stalks dry up. Rain and high humidity often cause rot, which spreads to the root collar. Timely pruning can help prevent this. It is recommended to remove flower stalks immediately after flowering, and also remove spent buds.
When is it better to prune: spring or autumn?
This is a controversial issue for gardeners, although the answer is simple: it all depends on the condition of the plantings, the local climate, the soil, and the surrounding conditions. Most experts recommend pruning daylilies in the fall, citing the following reasons:
- pruned plants are better protected from infections and pests;
- the risk of root collar rot is minimized;
- In winter, pruned plants tolerate frost better;
- flower beds acquire a neat, well-groomed appearance.
In spring, the plant begins to grow early, so pruning daylilies at this time of year can seriously damage the plantings, slowing their development and flowering time.
The best time for pruning is in the fall.
The exact time to prune the above-ground portion of the plant depends on the climate and weather conditions in the area. Experienced gardeners prune the leaves when the first frost is forecast. The onset of consistent cold weather is a signal that it's time to prune the daylily, preventing the buds from "waking up" and being exposed to frost.
If you prune earlier, the daylilies will begin to vegetate and produce new shoots before the cold weather sets in, which will lead to the death of the plants.
Pruning technique
The pruning procedure is simple:
- Garden pruning shears are being prepared.
- Carefully cut the leaves at a height of 12-15 cm.
- The cut leaves are removed and burned.
It is not recommended to put cut leaves into compost, as they may contain pests and pathogens.
Care after pruning
After removing cut and dried leaves and weeds, the plantings are left until frost sets in. No further work is carried out until winter arrives.
Organizing winter shelter
Daylilies are considered frost-hardy, but care must take into account the characteristics of the variety or hybrid. The climate has changed significantly in recent years, with sudden thaws in the depths of winter becoming common even in Siberia and the Northwest. While this flower tolerates stable, moderate temperatures well, sudden temperature fluctuations, thaws, and subsequent severe frosts often result in plant death.
Do daylilies need to be covered for the winter?
In the south, this isn't necessary, but in the central, northwestern, Siberian, and Ural regions, covering plantings is recommended. This is especially true in areas with severe, prolonged frosts and little snow in winter.
How to properly cover daylilies for the winter
Preparing perennials for winter doesn't require any complicated work. Simply gather the required amount of spruce branches, peat, or dry straw. Finely shredded pine bark is also suitable for mulching.
A layer of mulch up to 10 cm thick is sufficient. If severe frosts are expected in winter, a thicker layer of mulch is applied to the daylilies for the winter, and a covering material is also used for additional protection.
Cover plantings only when frost sets in. Covering them too early in warm weather will lead to damping off, as will delaying the removal of cover in the spring.
Specifics of preparing daylilies for winter in different regions
Florists in different regions of Russia take into account the climate. It's also important to consider the specifics of the variety: how it survives winter and whether the plants require shelter.
In the middle zone
In the Moscow region and surrounding areas, daylilies are covered with non-woven fabrics or mulch for the winter. According to gardeners, the plant usually survives the winter well even without cover. However, it's still not worth the risk, especially if you're growing southern hybrids from the American continent, which aren't accustomed to prolonged cold.
In the Volga region
In this region, daylilies require protection with spruce branches, bark, and peat. A mulch layer of at least 10-15 cm is recommended. In winter, the snow cover over the plantings is monitored, adding snow as needed to keep the plants warm.
In the Urals and Siberia
In the harsh conditions of these regions, daylilies can have a hard time surviving the winter. Even well-protected plants (mulch, covering material, snow) can freeze during prolonged frosts below -35 degrees Celsius.
Experienced gardeners usually carefully dig up rare daylily varieties along with the root ball and store them in a basement or dry cellar throughout the winter. Another option is to carefully dig up the plant rhizomes and place them in prepared soil or sand in a cellar. Regularly monitor the plants' condition, preventing any signs of dryness or rot. In the spring, the rhizomes are replanted in their original location in the garden.
Secrets and nuances of successful wintering
Knowing the intricacies of agricultural technology will help daylilies successfully survive the cold season.
- It's important to learn as much information as possible about the varieties growing in your area in advance. Everything is important: origin, frost resistance, and flowering times.
- Mulch for shelters and special non-woven materials are prepared in advance so that the cold does not take you by surprise.
- Observe the norms for applying fertilizers to flowers, excluding nitrogen-containing fertilizers.
- Daylilies should be covered only when cold weather sets in, taking into account the forecast for the coming winter. Applying a layer of mulch prematurely will lead to rot, root rot, and the death of the perennial.
The main mistakes when caring for daylilies in the fall
Despite the unpretentiousness of this beautiful perennial flower, it's important to follow proper gardening practices. However, even experienced gardeners don't always know how to care for and prepare daylilies for winter. Here are some mistakes:
- Apply nitrogen-rich fertilizers in the fall. The aboveground portion begins to grow, weakening the plant before winter.
- Incorrect pruning of lush bushes. Leaves are cut at a height of no more than 15 cm, leaving medium-length stumps. Pruning too low leads to plant rot and premature bud growth.
- Mulching too early can cause the root system to rot, which can lead to the death of the flowers.
- Pruning a perennial too early. In this case, the plant will sprout leaves and grow vigorously during the warm autumn, depriving the roots of the nutrients they need to survive the winter. You'll have to prune the bush again, weakening the plant before winter.
- Cover the base of the bush tightly, using heavy, damp mulch. Sawdust, spruce branches, and straw should be dry, clean, and free of debris and foreign objects.
Incorrect preparation leads to problematic wintering of plants, and in some cases, to freezing and death of flowers.
Conclusion
The lush blooms of this beautiful perennial adorn the garden and delight the eye. However, to ensure the daylily survives the capricious climate of various regions of Russia, it requires thorough care in the fall and proper preparation for winter. With simple gardening practices, this magnificent, easy-to-grow plant will bloom all summer long.