Daylilies . . . The Perfect Perennial!

Daylilies are tough, persistent, relatively pest free plants that adapt to any kind of soil. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors and bloom cycles, giving your garden blooms all season long. Known as one of the easiest plants to grow, they will grow in almost any soil but prefer either a neutral or slightly acid soil. Daylilies thrive best in direct sun or partial shade that receives at least 4-6 hours of sun a day. Daylilies can be planted anytime as long as they are in the ground well before it freezes.

Easy to Plant
Daylilies should be planted at least 12 inches apart in well-drained soil. First prepare the soil by adding a small amount of balanced fertilizer, we use 20-20-20. After planting, fertilize each spring. For detailed planting instructions, see gardening hints!

Drought Tolerant
Although daylilies are drought tolerant they will bloom better if they receive water regularly. Here at Amador Flower Farm, we water all of our gardens using overhead sprinklers. Our demonstration gardens are watered daily and our growing grounds are watered twice a week during our very hot and dry California summers. Our gardens all have 3"-4" of mulch. We feel this makes our beds look nicer. Using mulch also prevents moisture from evaporating rapidly and helps to control weed growth. We use a partially rotted bark to mulch our beds.

Deer Resistant
Daylilies are relatively "pest-free". They are listed as deer-resistant but in some areas when there is nothing else to eat in the fall, they will eat daylilies. Gophers generally just move the daylilies around a little, they can be a problem if there are to many, we strive to keep them out of our daylilies.

Which Daylilies are best for my climate? Daylilies are available with Evergreen, Semi-Evergreen or Dormant (deciduous) foliage.  You should keep the following guidelines in mind when ordering daylilies for your garden. Dormant plants can grow well in areas with winter temperatures down to -35 degrees Fahrenheit. They may grow in mild winter climates but they might not get enough winter chill to perform well. Evergreen plants can take temperatures down to -20 Fahrenheit but need a 4-6 inch layer of mulch. Semi-Evergreen plants vary. This designation is used by hybridizers when dormant or evergreen is not an adequate description. The USDA planting zone map is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10-degree Fahrenheit zones. We recommend these general guidelines for planting daylilies: Dormant Plants USDA Zones 3-9 Semi Evergreen USDA Zones 5-11 Evergreen USDA Zones 8-11 Aren’t sure about your zone? Take a look at the USDA map HERE.