One of this years seedling, surrounded by it's siblings who look fine. It has been like this for about a month, just noticed it's sending up a side shoot. When I first saw it, I just figured it got the short stick, genetics wise. But it is not dying, it's actually increasing. I spread alfalfa in the spring and applied Sta Green lawn fertilizer about three weeks ago, it was already like this, so fert isn't the cause. Any ideas?

Maybe it did just get the short stick on the genetics.

May very well be. I just can't figure out why it won't die?

It really doesn't look that bad to me!

This is one the 8 Here's to You Bill Robinson X Floating Away seedlings that I'd love to see bloom. Ain't that the way it always is!?

Looks OK to me. Some are just greener than others.

I would try giving it some more fertilizer but on the acid side. It may be super sensitive to basic or alkaline soil.

I had three daylilies that had yellow leaves while those around them were green. I changed their fertilizer to 30-10-10 for acid loving plants and although it is taking a long time they are greening.

@admmad the fert I applied three weeks ago is 29/0/5 with 2% iron. May be I caught it in time? It's the same fertilizer I used last year, felt it really helped the foliage recover from July.

beenthere said:@admmad the fert I applied three weeks ago is 29/0/5 with 2% iron. May be I caught it in time? It's the same fertilizer I used last year, felt it really helped the foliage recover from July.

Does it say what kind of nitrogen on the bag?

"Chemical fertilizers containing ammonium or organic fertilizers with protein (amino acids) acidify neutral and alkaline soils. Ammonium is nitrogen and hydrogen (NH3-). As ammonium fertilizers create nitrate, they release free hydrogen atoms to create an acid soil."
https://www.ehow.com/info_8055...

Seedfork said:"Chemical fertilizers containing ammonium or organic fertilizers with protein (amino acids) acidify neutral and alkaline soils. Ammonium is nitrogen and hydrogen (NH3-). As ammonium fertilizers create nitrate, they release free hydrogen atoms to create an acid soil."
https://www.ehow.com/info_8055...

However nitrate nitrogen fertilizers can raise soil pH:

"The ratio of nitrate to ammoniacal nitrogen in a fertilizer determines the rate of substrate pH change and can even be used to correct pH during production. The pH changing property is known as a fertilizer's potential acidity or basicity and is listed on a fertilizer's label (Table 1)."

http://www.greenhouse.cornell....

Loved the article at sooby's link. So glad beenthere asked about her seedling, sometimes we can learn so much from the answers others get for their questions.

to Sooby

Threw bag away and can't seem to find the answer on the net, as to which nitrogen types are in this formula. Sorry. Great info from all! Thank you.

Wanted to share a recent picture of this seedling. Much better, greener and still alive.

beenthere said:Wanted to share a recent picture of this seedling. Much better, greener and still alive.

It looks very green and healthy. Can't wait to see photos if they bloom for you.

Very interesting. Thanks for the question,and the answers. Great article also.

So, did it ever bloom?

Yes, it did. @Strigeidida. Blooms on all of this cross were pretty consistently unremarkable, and all were culled. I've no pictures. Changed my focus to Spiders, my first love. These seedlings all survived our late frosts/freezes and grew well here in 6B. No light foliage in 2021.

Sorry to hear that it didn't amount to anything. I know what you mean about spiders. They're really quite elegant in shape.

Don't remember who said it, but I agree with them, that a daylily should look like a daylily. It's tough to improve on (IMO) damn near perfect.