Untitled in How To Divide Daylilies

By Char
October 19, 2013

There is nothing more glorious than a large daylily clump in full bloom. At some point these large daylily clumps will need to be divided. The most common question I hear from garden visitors after "When does my daylily need to be divided?" is "How do I divide my daylily?"

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canadanna

Oct 19, 2013 7:10 AM CST

Thread OP

Name: Anna
North Texas (Zone 8a)

Very good information!!!!!

Like the garden fork , spray the root ball and mound idea. Do you add any special amendments at this time?

| @canadanna | Post #500465 (1)

Char

Oct 21, 2013 7:09 AM CST

Name: Char
Vermont (Zone 4b)

Hi Anna, sorry, I returned home last evening after being away for a few days.
I don't add anything to the planting hole, although I've heard other folks say they do. In the spring I normally work a section or entire bed doing spring cleanup - removing old foliage, leaves, weeding, dividing, moving etc. When that section is done each cultivar in the bed gets a handful or two of milorganite and alfalfa pellets spread around it, a few inches outward from the crowns. Then I top dress the entire area with a 2 inch mix of ground leaves and horse manure. When cleaning the beds and dividing in the fall I do not add anything in the planting hole or on top.

| @Char | Post #501295 (2)

dragonfetti

Jan 20, 2015 6:06 PM CST

Name: Pat Barlow
Kingman, Arizona (Zone 9b)

RE: "When that section is done each cultivar in the bed gets a handful or two of milorganite and alfalfa pellets spread around it, a few inches outward from the crowns."

Could you explain the milorganite and alfalfa pellets please? Is this something you make or purchase, is it a mixture of the two or two separate items? I would hazard to guess the alfalfa pellets are from the feed store but do you grind them up before you spread them?

“Cares melt when you kneel in your garden.”

| @dragonfetti | Post #769614 (3)

Char

Jan 20, 2015 6:30 PM CST

Name: Char
Vermont (Zone 4b)

I'm glad you found the article!

They are two separate items. Milorganite is a fertilizer popular for use on daylilies. Sold mainly as a lawn fertilizer, I find it for sale at my local nursery center or Home Depot. The alfalfa pellets are from the local feed/grain store and are sold as horse feed. They are small extruded pellets, do not need to be ground and do not include additives like salt. When wet they swell, soften and can give off some heat, the reason they are kept away from the crown/base of the plant. I typically put down the milorganite and then the alfalfa pellets....I don't think it matters which is first or even using one without the other is fine.

| @Char | Post #769623 (4)

flaflwrgrl

Jan 20, 2015 6:52 PM CST

Name: Ann ~Heat zn 9, Sunset
North Fl. (Zone 8b)

But Pat, make sure to get the alfalfa pellets for horses & not for bunnies or goats & such as they contain salt whereas the ones for horses do not.

I am a strong believer in the simple fact is that what matters in this life is how we treat others. I think that's what living is all about. Not what I've done in my life but how I've treated others. ~~ Sharon Brown

| @flaflwrgrl | Post #769642 (5)