This will be an project to show the growth of seedlings here on the Alabama Gulf Coast. These seedlings will be fertilized once a week until they are in the ground one month, then fertilized twice a week until first blooms in seven months. I will be useing a liquid 25-5-10 to push these to first year bloom. There is already 18-6-8 slow release tilled into the bed along with chicken litter 4-3-4. Most will bloom between seven and nine months old due to our mild winters. There are 800 seedlings in this bed planted September 3&4 last week.

Ive been planting mine out all weekend. They look about the size of yours, which they do every year this time. From this point on, yours grow, mine sit. Ive got slow release on them, ive been spray and grow and foliare feeding, but where do you get the 25-5-10. Thats eluding me.

Last year, thanks to your mix ratio, I used pine bark chips in mine. It really helped and it also kept them from pulling down so much. Needless to say, I did the same this year.
My big improvement has come in record keeping. Im actually going to know what seedling is blooming this next year and its parents

I buy all my fertilizer at our local farmers co-op. I get it in 25# bags and mix it 8oz to 15 gallons. You can use any liquid fertilizer as long as the middle number is low. You don't want to put to much phosphorous in the soil. When you spray it, you want to wet the foliage, not soak the ground.

Spunky1, I have a question. Would I use fertilizer on my baby seedlings this time of year here in the north??? I haven't in the past but was just curious. I have some that are between 2 and 4 inches tall that I just transplanted from pots into the ground.

I think you can up until about 30 days before your first frost day. You don't want trying to put on a lot of growth durning your cold weather. We have very little cold here so I can normally push mine all winter, last year was the expection, our coldest in 80 years. Still seen about 75% first year bloom. This was taken Oct 1 two years ago All those seedlings are now gone and I'm useing those beds for the babies this year.

Thanks, that's kind of what I figured.

Thank You so much for sharing this information. This will be very helpful next spring for me. I have always stressed fertilizing and water but to this degree I was not aware it was this possiable.

Your both welcome, I haven't stressed water but thats very important. They and everything else here get water every other day. My watering system is automatic so I don't have to worry about that when we are out of town. We travel a lot doing programs and meetings so the watering system is the best thing I have done for the daylilies. I think water is more important than ferlitizer, you can't give them to much here because of the sandy soil.

Planted another 350 seedlings yesterday Sept 9, these are planted a new 60 foot box.

How are your seedlings doing, Fred? I love the way you grow them.

I could not help myself this year and made a handful of crosses. Most ripened and I just didn't harvest them. But, two pods were such that I did save the seed. I have no idea where I will plant them, but I just could not let them go to waste.

THe crosses are Zazu Pitts x Fad Gadget. Both are pinched and Fad Gadget is a superior performer. And one of my seedlings, (Hanson sdlg from Capernaum Sin x Photon Torpedo) x Prometheus Revisited. My seedling has a strange pattern and PR is such a glorious color - have to see what happens with that cross. With two pods worth of seeds, I should be able to put them somewhere, at least to start with. I usually put my seed out in early winter, outside. Sometime between mid Nov. and beginning of Dec.

Seedlings are doing good These have been planted one month and are about three times the size as when I planted them September 9th. They are a little slower than normal due to the cool weather the last month. Haven't had the AC on in a month, very unusual for us this time of year.

This is the ones in the ground.

They look great! It has been so warm up here! We had our air on a bit last night, and today looks like it will be on more. My elderly Mom lives with me and she does not like fans blowing, and thinks if we open a window, someone will be lurking outside to "get" us.... so air cond. is the only option.

Has been a beautiful fall though. Leaves are not very pretty due to stress on trees this summer between heat and no rain.

Looking out the window at mine, Ive fallen behind, mine sure are not that big yet. I think this is going to be my last year with seedlings. One can adjust many things, but as long as I live here, Im just not going to have the sunlight I need.

This was taken Oct 29, the seedlings are really starting to grow, some are now 10-12 inchs tall. These are in the box. I am trying to take the pictures from the same angle every time. These are in the ground.

These have been in the ground two months Nov 3 2010.

Seedlings are really coming on. Pictures taken this morning 11/26/10.

Here ar some 18 month olds. 500 in a 4X20 foot box. Got these planted so late in 09 only about 6 bloomed.

They look sooooo fantastic!

Wow, Fred! It is amazing how daylilies grow when given great conditions.

Fred, thanks for keeping an eye out here at Cubits, and for responding to people's questions. Your one of the reasons I keep slogging along here! I really appreciate your taking the time to post.

I am going to try to get my seed in the ground in the next few days. I have not planted seed since 2001. I've made seed and given to friends, and made lots of pods just because I can't help myself, but when it comes time to harvest them, at least half shrivel up on the plant. Doing the crosses is a lot of fun, but growing the seeds that come from that is a LOT of work! The last couple years, I have only made a handful of crosses. This year, I harvested one pod from 3 different plants. So I probably have about 30 seeds. Wooo Hooo....

I want to start a topic on discussion about pre-emergent --- I'd love your advice if you'll check it out.

I try to post often but, not many here it seems. Will check out the new discussion.