Well, it's that time of year again. Time to see which daylilies couldn't handle my winter/early spring weather.

So far I'm positive I've lost two daylilies. Both were from the same vendor, planted last spring and survived until we had 4 nor'easters in a row.

Lizzie's Legacy



I'm not surprised because it struggled in the garden last year. I liked it but bought similar ones at the same time so it's not a great loss.

Tropical Cooler



I'm devestated because this was my favorite last year. I'm just loved the color combo and was really looking forward to it blooming this year! I may replace it if I can find a more northerly vendor.

There are a couple more that I transplanted last Fall that I'm fairly certain haven't made it but I haven't dug around to make certain.

If we don't get more winter weather (we could possibly get another storm on Monday) I'm hopeful the list won't get much longer.

Elena that is a bummer for sure. The second one is somewhat close to Annabelle Blush. Does well here for a evergreen.

Here in Ohio we've had several periods of below 0 degrees weather this winter, but I've been able to poke around the beds during warmer periods and I think I've only lost a couple. It's snowing right now, so that may change.

Last winter, I lost FOURTEEN daylilies; I had eleven from Maryott's, and all of them died. Here's hoping this year is better.

Don't be too quick to write them off. Sometimes what happens is that the main growing point on top of the crown is damaged or killed by winter but over time new fans form on the side. This can take a long time.

When I first got into daylilies I was told don't give up on them until at least June or July in my zone 4, and I also learned by experience not to poke around looking for them. That can seem to push them over the edge when they are trying to survive. I also would not assume that a first winter plant that does this is not sufficiently hardy. I remember one that did it here its first winter and never did it again, and I still have it almost 20 years later.

I hope you are right, Sue. I think I have lost Nell Dean. It is not showing any growth at all and all my others are well over several inches to a foot tall.

I had one that did not show any green until mid-July one year. I was sure it was dead. It didn't bloom that year, but bloomed beautifully the next.

The two that I lost rotted. I was pretty sure that was what happened since they were starting to grow then entirely disappeared. Every time that has happened to me it was due to rot. I've never had a daylily not show any green in the early Spring and then show up in the summer. This is most likely since I get heaving (typically little to no snow cover for much of winter) so the daylilies are always pretty shallow come Spring (whether I mulch or not). Usually I have to add dirt to cover the roots (plenty have survived heaving if I cover the roots early enough). So it doesn't take much poking at all to tell that they are gone.

Mystlw, I've had issues with Maryott's daylilies not doing well for me too. I THINK I may have found the answer. Buy a clump, even if you have to order the same plant 2-3 times. I had a single fan of Prickly Sensation that died on me (they sent it by accident). This time I ordered it BOGO and got something like 7-8 fans. So far it has survived and even added a fan this year. Somehow I think being in a clump has some sort of protective effect. The ones I ordered as double fans at the same time have survived so far but don't look anywhere near as good as PS and a couple of others I got BOGO. I expect they'll die off or stop blooming in a couple of years.

And yes, it's snowing here today too! They predicted 1-3 inches with minimal sticking but we've got at least 4-5 inches on the ground, I had to shovel this morning and it's still snowing to beat the band!

When winter kills the main meristem, it looks like it has rotted. If the crown is still firm at the sides and only the top looks rotten it can still survive. If the whole crown has turned to mush rather than just the top then yes, it's a goner.

As for the heaving, Elena, do you plant them with the roots more horizontal or vertical? In other words do you do the AHS recommended method of making a mound in the hole you've dug and arranging the roots sideways over it before backfilling like this:

http://www.daylilies.org/AHSFA...

I do not have much winter at all but I still loose a few plants almost every year that just don't make it, three or four this year. I still have one I am keeping an eye out for any growth, "Orchid Gilded Ruffles". I got it back in 2016, and it has never bloomed. Last year it developed very early buds and they all fell off later. Then the plant never looked healthy the rest of the year. I moved it to a new location and it showed some new growth late last year, then died back twice. This year so far no sign of life.

Like Sue said, don't give up too soon. The center plant of this row of three "Helicopter" was dug up and left on the porch by the plant eating puppy in late Dec. Was pretty mangled when I found it, but I replanted anyhow.. It didn't show itself when the other two started growing, so I ordered another from Northern Lights for this spring.. Well, as you can see, the mangle one has survived and has nearly caught up with the others! Since I now had an excuse to buy two more, I did. Lol! Huben makes tough plants!




The little daylily that could! Edited to add that these were all single fans planted spring 2017.

Sooby they are rotted, no roots, no crown, no nothing but mush. And, yes I plant them the way the AHS advises. Doesn't seem to make a difference. Some always heave and as long as I go out during the warm days and rebury them they do fine.

When I get my plants I will normally pot them up and give them special care through
the summer. By fall they are very nicely rooted in those pots. I have made the mistake
of planting the whole mass right out of the pot, leaving the potting soil around the roots.
Don't do that! Remove as much of the potting soil as you can in northern areas, because
leaving it around the roots will allow them to heave. With potting soil they are also more
prone to freezing out. It is also wise to plant new ones earlier in the fall to help keep them
from heaving. A brick or rock will also help keep them secured.

Bill Maryott is a wonderful guy and had some terrific sales, but his plants are often very
evergreen and not as hardy in northern areas. I haven't ever lost a plant from freezing out,
but his came very close and I replaced all of them.

Having lived in MD and presently in NY, whenever I had a daylily that did not show-up in the early spring, I would never poke around and look for it. I would give it a 10% bleach bath (9 to 1 water ratio). I would pour it on the plant and wait. They have all come back with the exception for one. The one that did not come back was bred in Florida.

Sometimes the meristem gets damaged by the winter and then shoots come out of the bottom or side of the of the crown. When this happens, I usually have to move the sign to where the plant is now coming up. Sometimes it has been several inches away from where the original plant was.

Don't give up, these are tough plants.

David

I buy my daylilies bare-root so potting soil isn't the issue. It isn't just daylilies that heave in my yard. Plenty of other plants do also. And it isn't the same ones from year to year. I think it's most likely a microclimate issue. The plants nearest to walls never heave. The ones more out in the open are more likely to heave.

Guys I live in NYC. My plants are stressed in ways that you probably can't even imagine (my neighbor just cut down two trees and guess where they ended up?). We have heat sinks, litter, trespassers, stray cats, squirrels and skunks digging everything you plant up, etc. I know my daylilies are tough! But I've been growing them in this area long enough to know when they'll come back and when they are gone. This time of year is a killer. Heaving happens. I deal with it. If something isn't hardy I'm not going to baby it along when I have precious little space. If it dies, it wasn't meant to be. I'll only try it a second time if I really love it.

I just planted a bunch of seeds from crosses I did with Tropical Cooler. Here's hoping I'll get a seedling that looks similar but is much happier in my garden. I have had success with kids with parents that were from Maryotts. The kids are thriving where the parents either died or are just barely hanging on.

I am in Ohio, and I have every assortment of wild creature, plus the little
neighborhood hellions. Gardening can be a real struggle! Hang tough.

Bedmaker said:I would never poke around and look for it. I would give it a 10% bleach bath (9 to 1 water ratio). I would pour it on the plant and wait. They have all come back with the exception for one. The one that did not come back was bred in Florida.


David

@bedmaker , what does the bleach solution do for the plant?

Jill,

Several of my daylily growing colleagues in MD would do this if a plant looked like it might not make it in the spring. I think that it killed off any bacteria that might be causing a plant to struggle/rot. I wish I had a better explanation.

David