I am very new to the daylily party and I'm learning. Last spring was my first foray into the beautiful world of daylilies and I think I'm addicted.

I would like to know how everyone handles their new cultivars. I ordered and received some beautiful fans from Maryott's Garden a couple of weeks ago. I got Bright in the Night, Kaanapali Coast, Sign language, Sailing at Dawn, and Mineral Springs. The fans are large with good root systems. Instead of planting my fans directly to my flower bed, I potted them. I used potting soil and added cow manure, both purchased from Home Depot. I have been watering frequently since the weather here in zone 8 has been hot and humid. I will plant in a flower bed later on when the weather cools down...September.

I would like to know should I have amended the soil with anything in addition to the cow manure and when should I fertilize while potted or should I wait until I put them in ground. I would like to also know what fertilizer is recommended for new cultivars.

I'm just looking to hear if any of you guys have best practices in place for your new cultivars. I am trying to get the best results next spring.

Pat - I am not one of the experts here on the forum.

I typically don't do much to my daylilies if I pot them up. I give them a chance to rest and recover from the transition from nursery to my zone and it's new home. Give them a few weeks to a month to recover and start showing some growth again especially in the heat of summer that can further stress a plant. There are a number of things you can fertilize them with. Not sure what would be recommended for Fall. I am sure some others will reply to your post.

Thanks Becky, we are getting het humidity and afternoon thunderstorms here in the Atlanta area. That means less watering for me, but not sure how it will affect my new plants. I was hoping that some of the folks that's been doing this for a while would have aried and true formular that gives good results in the spring. I think next time I will order early in the spring or in the fall.

Oh! I wouldn't worry about that. I have just received new ones that I got this summer too. The heat index here today is 111 degrees. With rain also in the forecast. And they were potted up because I am finishing up the creation of a new bed to plant them in. Water is good!

They just need time to adjust and start growing again before you hit them with fertilizer, IMHO. Most daylilies are pretty tough as long as they are growing in the appropriate zone and were healthy when you got them.

Hi Pat and welcome to our shared addiction. I have been growing daylilies for about ten years, but I am far from being an expert. Over 30 years ago and before I knew anything about daylilies, I moved from living about 35 miles from the Marriott's garden to about 120 miles east of you (the Augusta area). First, you made an excellent choice in buying from the Marriotts. They always send big, healthy plants and are indeed generous with the number of both fans and bonus plants. However, our climates could not be much more different. Freedom, CA, is a little southeast of the beach town of Santa Cruz. Their temperatures are a little warmer than Santa Cruz, but summer highs rarely exceed the low-to-mid 80 and there is no humidity compared to what we experience daily once their morning fog has burned off! I agree with Becky that letting your new arrivals rest and relax in their pots. Make sure you keep them moist and let them have some afternoon shade if you can. As for soil amendments, composted pine fines is a very popular additive among many growers in the deep South. Once wet, they hold water for a long time. Home Depot in this area sells a product called "Soil Conditioned" with is listed as 50% pine fines and 50% compost, and it does a good job for me. Regarding fertilizer, you will hear a full range of opinions on that subject. I have seen and heard "experts" recommend balanced fertilizers (like 8-8-8 or 13-13-13) and I have heard others that say only a fertilizer with a ratio of 4-1-2 (like 16-4-8) should be used. Then there are those who strongly recommend only organic fertilizer types. Yes, contradictory, but each one can show you their success with what they are doing. There is one southern grower who categorically states that the most important fertilizer you can add is water. Personally, I use a modest dose of relatively quick release fertilizer in the early fall (as you say, after the temperatures cool) and a stronger dose of the "4-1-2" type (controlled release product) in the spring. Remember that the controlled release fertilizers are listed based on daytime temperatures in the 70's and they will be depleted much more quickly for us here in the South where the low 70's are what we are seeing now as low temperatures, not high temperatures. (By this, I mean that a 6-8 month release fertilizer may be depleted in as little as 3-6 months when temperatures rise well above the mid 70's.) I also like to use some Milorganite in the spring. It is good as a slow release fertilizer, has a number of minor and trace elements, and deer cannot stand its odor. (Some people can't stand the odor too, but some won't use it based on its source - - human waste.) Deer love daylily blossoms and are an issue for some of us! Many people use several liquid fertilizer (soluble fertilizer, fish emulsion, etc.) additions in spring when growth is so rapid.
Whatever you do, keep them moist. It is difficult if not impossible during times like the last month or so. Where I live, we have not had a thundershower in over two weeks and the high temperature has only been below 94 twice during that time.
Good luck. You sound conscientious, so I'm sure they will look good next spring.
Larry

I always use alfalfa pellets for my daylilies, and they love the stuff. The only other thing I use is seaweed fertilizer, but I don't use that regularly. Usually in the Spring only, and I add it to the water when watering them in when first planting, but if a daylily looks to be struggling, I'll give it an extra shot of that. When planting, or transplanting, I just toss a handful of alfalfa pellets into the planting hole, cover it with a little soil, and then plant the daylilies. I also top dress with it. Supposedly, you can't use too much, so I never worry about how much I use.

Pat - I went back and re-read your first post after Larry W posted his reply. I see that you added cow manure to your potting mix. I think Larry made a VERY good suggestion about putting the plants in partial shade. Cow manure in this heat might burn the roots. Give them plenty of water too!

Thanks Larry, Becky, and Natalie....you guys are all so helpful. I will add a few alfafa pellets to the soil when I ground plant them. Thanks for the tip about the cow manure burning the plants if now watered enough. I hope to see a few blooms from my larger fans before the fall. I received a few very small fans from Gilbert H Wild Gardens....Carolina Pansy Face and Bestseller. I don't expect much f rom those two this season. Thanks again for your tips.

Pat236
Don't give up yet, I just had my first bloom on 'Wineberry Candy', G.H. Wild small plant, planted on June 13th 2015.
The plant is still small, but it was a small plant, and is even when mature only showing to be 22 inches.

Oh my how cute....that gives me hope. Yours even have more buds to bloom. My fans are about that size or a bit smaller.