How to Plant a New Daylily

Storing Bareroot Plants
It's best to get your new plants in the ground as soon as possible!

If you can plant in the next 2 days, you can leave them in the box, in a cool shaded place. When you are ready to plant, if the roots seem dry, soak the plants in water for at least 10 minutes.

If planting will be delayed by 3-5 days, then you should soak the roots. Set the plants in a tub or bucket, with about 2" of water covering the bottom half of the roots. Do not submerge all the roots, or any foliage. After 1-2 days of soaking in the shade, then pour out the water, so the roots don't rot. Then, keep them cool, damp, and shaded until ready to plant.

If planting will be delayed by more than 5 days, then the daylilies should be temporarily "heeled in" by digging a shallow trench in a shady area, laying the plants in, and covering the roots with moist soil. Keep the soil moist until you are ready to plant them in their permanent location.

Planning & Preparation
Daylilies require at least a half-day of direct sunlight and good drainage. If planting in a new area, and your soil is heavy and compacted or very sandy, then soil improvement is definitely worth doing. We suggest loosening the whole area and mixing in plenty of composted manure. If your soil is naturally very acidic, lime is also recommended. Plants should generally be spaced 18" to 2 ft. apart. Miniature varieties can be closer. Or group 3-7 plants of one variety close together, with 2-3 ft. between types.

Planting
Dig a hole large enough to accommodate the roots (about 12" wide and 8" deep). Pack a mound of good soil in the bottom of the hole. Set the plant on the mound with the roots spread out. The top of the roots must be 1" below the surrounding soil level. Raise or lower plant if needed. Backfill halfway with soil mixed with either compost or a little granular fertilizer. Pack firmly. Fill with water until the area is soaked. A little liquid fertilizer in the water is helpful. Finish backfilling and water again. We have trimmed the foliage back, which helps the plants get established.

Watering
Soak deeply twice a week for two weeks, then once a week the rest of the growing season. Deep watering is important. If dug in early summer, a newly planted daylily may yellow and shed some of its outer leaves. This is normal. The plant is putting energy into growing new roots and forming bud stalks, so it drops off some foliage to stay in balance. After a few weeks, new foliage growth will resume.