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Aug 20, 2012 6:16 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cynthia (Cindy)
Melvindale, Mi (Zone 5b)
Daylilies Hybridizer Irises Butterflies Charter ATP Member Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Birds Region: Michigan Vegetable Grower Hummingbirder Heucheras Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge)
There is a debate on another website on how daylilies should be planted. I have always read that the crown of the plant should not be planted underground. I have a person telling me that it should be at least 1" underground. Any thoughts from all you hybridizers and growers on this???
Lighthouse Gardens
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Aug 20, 2012 6:33 AM CST
Name: Doris&David Bishop
Cartersville, Ga. (Zone 7b)
Cat Lover Clematis Daylilies Garden Art Region: Georgia
http://www.daylilies.org/AHSFA...

This is what the AHS website says about planting daylilies: •Do not set the crown (i.e., the point where foliage and roots join) more than 1 inch below the surface of the soil.
"Anything worth doing is worth overdoing"~~~David Bishop
http://daylilyfans.com/bishop/
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Aug 20, 2012 6:42 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cynthia (Cindy)
Melvindale, Mi (Zone 5b)
Daylilies Hybridizer Irises Butterflies Charter ATP Member Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Birds Region: Michigan Vegetable Grower Hummingbirder Heucheras Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge)
Thanks Doris. I guess I learned something. I was always told in the past not to plant any of the crown underground.
Lighthouse Gardens
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Aug 20, 2012 6:44 AM CST
Name: bb
north of boston on the coast
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Level 1
I plant all my plants in compost amended sandy soil.

I plant them from April until Oct (we have a late fall) north of Boston on the coast)

I plant them in a large hole with supersorb added to the bottom, to help retain water.

I plant the crowns once inch below the surface, fill in with amended soil, and water them in HEAVILY for the first two weeks. After that, normal watering.
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Aug 20, 2012 6:45 AM CST
Name: bb
north of boston on the coast
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Level 1
Are you losing plants, Cindy with planting them above grade? I would think so, with your frozen ground in the winter. Or are they hunkering in as you water them in? And are you using mulch which would be covering the crown?
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Aug 20, 2012 6:46 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cynthia (Cindy)
Melvindale, Mi (Zone 5b)
Daylilies Hybridizer Irises Butterflies Charter ATP Member Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Birds Region: Michigan Vegetable Grower Hummingbirder Heucheras Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge)
Guess I've been planting them wrong for 20 plus years Rolling on the floor laughing
Lighthouse Gardens
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Aug 20, 2012 6:47 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cynthia (Cindy)
Melvindale, Mi (Zone 5b)
Daylilies Hybridizer Irises Butterflies Charter ATP Member Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Birds Region: Michigan Vegetable Grower Hummingbirder Heucheras Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge)
No, I don't loose a lot of plants. I have lost several new ones this year from the heat. And I do mulch so I guess they are somewhat protected anyway.
Lighthouse Gardens
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Aug 20, 2012 6:52 AM CST
Name: bb
north of boston on the coast
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Level 1
If you are mulching even an inch, the crowns are getting covered! And the mulch is probably turning to soil within the year.

Do you see crowns sticking up now?
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Aug 20, 2012 6:54 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cynthia (Cindy)
Melvindale, Mi (Zone 5b)
Daylilies Hybridizer Irises Butterflies Charter ATP Member Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Birds Region: Michigan Vegetable Grower Hummingbirder Heucheras Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge)
Well, I's hard to say with the larger clumps but if I were to guess I would say no.
Lighthouse Gardens
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Aug 20, 2012 7:35 AM CST
Name: bb
north of boston on the coast
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Level 1
Thumbs up
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Aug 20, 2012 8:32 AM CST
Name: Christine
Southeastern MN (Zone 4a)
Heucheras Garden Ideas: Level 2 Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I sent a postcard to Randy! Garden Ideas: Level 1
Region: Minnesota Hostas Keeps Horses Birds Farmer Daylilies
That is interesting! I plant crown level to surface but then like lilylady said, I mulch so I guess they ARE below the surface! Whistling
"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."
2 Corinthians 9:6
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Aug 20, 2012 8:55 AM CST
Name: pam
gainesville fl (Zone 8b)
Bee Lover The WITWIT Badge Region: Ukraine Enjoys or suffers hot summers Pollen collector Native Plants and Wildflowers
Hydrangeas Hummingbirder Dragonflies Daylilies Butterflies Birds
This is just something that happened to me this summer. In the spring, I was moving plants around etc. As usual, I didnt finish and so help me God, The plants that I just set on the ground and never touched again, are doing fabulous and the ones I planted look like grass. I was so amazed by this, that when I took my big seedlings that didnt bloom out of the earth boxes, instead of culling them, yep, I just set them over in the flower bed and I did throw a little soil around the edges to keep them kinda contained. YES indeed they're doing great.

Ive never been able to keep a daylily alive planting it below the ground. Ive always heard and been told to plant the crown up, otherwise, if its damp, you get crown rot....and I can vouch for that. That is not to say that some dont pull themselves down. I leave them until they are to deep to bloom.
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Aug 20, 2012 12:37 PM CST
Name: Doris&David Bishop
Cartersville, Ga. (Zone 7b)
Cat Lover Clematis Daylilies Garden Art Region: Georgia
Cindy, if you are not having a problem planting them as you do, then don't change. My guess is that they sink some once the soil settles. The mulch that you use acts as a layer of soil, and it also breaks down over time. I know from experience that if they are too deep they will not bloom and are more likely to get crown rot as Pam said. I am of the opinion at this point in my life that we should do what works for each one of us and not worry about what someone else does or says. The information that I posted from AHS says to not plant any deeper than 1". That leaves much for interpretation.
"Anything worth doing is worth overdoing"~~~David Bishop
http://daylilyfans.com/bishop/
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Aug 20, 2012 12:58 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cynthia (Cindy)
Melvindale, Mi (Zone 5b)
Daylilies Hybridizer Irises Butterflies Charter ATP Member Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Birds Region: Michigan Vegetable Grower Hummingbirder Heucheras Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge)
Yes Dorris I guess I will keep planting as usual. I have also heard as Pam mentioned that planting too deep will give crown rot and I imagine in the south that is much more common will all the rain you guys get down there. Thanks all!!!
Lighthouse Gardens
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Aug 20, 2012 1:59 PM CST
Name: Juli
Ohio (Zone 6a)
Region: United States of America Charter ATP Member Cottage Gardener Daylilies Garden Photography Enjoys or suffers cold winters
Birds Hummingbirder Butterflies Dog Lover Cat Lover Garden Ideas: Master Level
I always figured that the crown height in planting hole depended on where you live, same as peony. Here, I put them at the surface, or a touch below.
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Aug 20, 2012 2:19 PM CST
Name: Mona
Guntown, Ms (Zone 7b)
I love nature & everything outdoors
Daylilies Dog Lover
I use pots. I always start out with the crown very close to the top of the soil line. If I notice one pot not blooming, I can about bet I've planted the daylily too deep and the crown is way down in the pot. I always do the little "hill" in the center of my pot to set the bottom of the crown on but sometimes, my "hill" isn't tall enough and I don't notice. This in turn will sink down into the pot as the soil settles, putting the crown down into the pot deeper. I've lost maybe 5 plants to crown rot in my 10 years of growing daylilies in pots and all have been planted too deep. With our weather from 10 below up to 110 above, we get a wide variety of conditions. But, nothing compared to the northern part of this country.

I'm like most above, if in 20 years you haven't had alot of trouble, I wouldn't worry about it. When you get in a new plant, I'd probably start it out a little(little being maybe an inch) above grade, because in most cases, it will sink down some. Especially in the summer and I wouldn't put summertime mulch over the crown. This can lead to rot when you get really high temps like ya'll have had this year. Then, I would pull the mulch up over the crown for winter.(This is what I would do, what's good for you may be totally different) I just read what Juli had posted about region, and I agree totally.
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Aug 20, 2012 3:10 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cynthia (Cindy)
Melvindale, Mi (Zone 5b)
Daylilies Hybridizer Irises Butterflies Charter ATP Member Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Birds Region: Michigan Vegetable Grower Hummingbirder Heucheras Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge)
I didn't use mulch this summer and I lost 2 new ones. I guess that isn't bad considering I planted 10 new ones plus a couple of bonus plants.
Lighthouse Gardens
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Aug 20, 2012 3:31 PM CST
Name: bb
north of boston on the coast
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Level 1
Me thinks there is a difference in planting depth for north and south.
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Aug 20, 2012 3:46 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cynthia (Cindy)
Melvindale, Mi (Zone 5b)
Daylilies Hybridizer Irises Butterflies Charter ATP Member Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Birds Region: Michigan Vegetable Grower Hummingbirder Heucheras Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge)
You are probably right.
Lighthouse Gardens
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Aug 20, 2012 3:53 PM CST
Name: Mona
Guntown, Ms (Zone 7b)
I love nature & everything outdoors
Daylilies Dog Lover
I agree

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