I'm not sure in which zone I live (I think 8 - 9), but summer often is slow to start.

We can have an ocassionall nice weekend in April, but normally I have to wait until June to have temps rise above 20C for more than a couple of days.

Is it worth my money to plant (extra) early DL's?
Will those start blooming at a lower temp than EM's or M's?
Or will they just perform poorly or even just 'wait' until it gets warmer?


Mayo

I think the early, mid, late etc.classification is all based on peak bloom time. So it is all relative, but often the flowers don't seem to know what classification they belong too. Still, I would think that if you planted several extra early or early varieties at least some of them should bloom earlier than say the mid-late and late classified plants, and vice versa.

Mayo,

When is your first frost expected, and when is your last frost expected?

Gerry

Mayo, do you have the daylily gall midge there? If so you may want to go with lates rather than earlies.

Mayo, I often though about it. Where I live it may be warmer than in the Netherlands, but it's still north of Italy and while years ago we were used to have a nice april, a warm may, in the last years it seems that heat arrives later and later. Nice to find someone not overseas, do you think we could trade some DLs?
Sorry, how did you find your climatic zone? May I do the same?

I live in The Hague, The Netherlands, which is situated at the coast of the North Sea.
This means that our winters aren't very cold and our summers not blistering hot

First frost (at night) is usually around Christmas and the last in March or the beginning of April.
Most of th nights in winter are just above freezing.
Some winters we have some snow and colder periods, but that is more exeption than rule.

I have no idea what the daylily gall midge is, and whether or not we have it here...
I will have to look that up!!

I think that I will follow your advice, Larry, and plant some early ones
If Spring is a bit cold, they will just bloom later, right?

Sabrina, yes I noticed that you are on the same continent as Il!!
I don't have many DL's yet, but perhaps we can swap some
I'll send you a Tree-mail later, ok?
(I'm at work now )



Mayo

Mayo your weather looks better than mine!! I'd say go ahead and try, I wanted an early bloomer and a very late bloomer, but since I don't have lots of space to plant them I guess I'll stay like this.. or not.. who knows! But I don't have access to all the cultivars so often I find something I like and I can't find it here.
I have a ridicolous assortment LOL only 15 cultivars, and I can't even tell how they perform since I saw very few blooms until now, but we can keep in touch

Sabrina,

I have sent you a Tree-mail

Mayo

EE & E daylilies (Plus L & VL) are selectively bred to perform on 'the shoulders' of the usual or normal daylily bloom period. ('Normal' hereabouts would be about mid-June through early August) Consequently, for EE & E cultivars, breeders select for the usual desired plant & bloom characteristics that go hand-in-hand with such timing.

Here in Z5 (Canada - Z4 USA) that means relatively cool nights/mornings in late May & early June (Sometimes experiencing even light frosts and - although rarely - even a light 'thin' snowfall!). The plants a typical daylily breeder would select from his seedlings are therefore genetically adapted to develop quickly (Foliage & scapes) immediately after winter has retired, & for the bloom to open properly - at least by mid morning - despite the temperature being in the low-mid teens (Celsius). Considering that most daylilies want summer temps in order to flourish & to bloom with fully opened petals/sepals, true EE + E varieties are clearly exceptions. They respond well & quickly - rapidly even in some examples - to early spring conditions of cold soils & cool atmosphere plus less direct 'heat' from the sun's rays. It has been my experience that a display of such EE & E types is able to look more-or-less like any July mid-season display, but with an exception or two .....

Considering diploids (I don't follow tets at this time), most EE & E cultivars are in the yellow & gold colour range at present plus are usually small blooms. However, breeders like Wetzel have added 'Penguin Promenade' (White + purple eye) & 'Spring Flair' (Yellow w/red eye); Huben has tossed in a recent big red with his 'Begin With A Bang'; Zettek & Rood have given us unusual dark blends - difficult to describe - of mahogany & purple & cream ... (Wonderful small blooms - look them up); Huben introduced an apricot ('Early And Often') a few years ago. There is also Kirchoff's 'Cosmic Hummingbird' with it's copper/orange & red eye to add variety. With yellows/golds we have Saxton's 'Joy Of Spring' and Sobek's 'Three Seasons' ... Both Huben & Wetzel have AHS Registered near-whites (several) and Apps has given us a number of cultivars that open toward the end of the EE & E period ('Endless Heart' (Red); Happy Returns; Rosy returns; Apricot Returns; etc.) and Sobek has given us shades of pink with his 'In Strawberry Time' plus 'First Rose Of Summer'. And there are more .....

To locate EE & E cultivars, simply do an 'Advanced' search (AHS Database) selecting those specific criteria. Such precocious blooming daylilies are certainly able to add weeks to your annual bloom display. Toss in a few L & VL and add on even more ...

Wildbirds - And thanks for taking the time to write such an interesting post! Hope to read more posts from you!

Mayo62 said:
I have no idea what the daylily gall midge is, and whether or not we have it here...
I will have to look that up!! Mayo

See:
http://www.daylilies.org/ahs_d...
http://www.hemerocallis-europa...

There is a European distribution map for the pest here, you may need to click on "Distribution" on the left side of the page if this link doesn't go straight to the map:
http://www.europe-aliens.org/s...

As you'll see from the map the midge is present in Europe (it's been there for many years) and the map includes The Hague in the Netherlands. This pest primarily goes for early flowering daylilies.

Wildbirds

Wildbirds and for your post!
That's the information I was looking for

The AHS database lists 874 DL's as Early or Extra Early!

I myself am more 'into' the lavender, pink and purple Daylilies and I had my eye on:
Frog's Eye (EE)
Mean As A Snake
Fortune's Dearest
Judge Nancy
Pawprints On My Heart or
Laughing Skies (EE)


Now that I know that they are especially bred to flower in cooler temps I will certainly buy one (.. or 2, or... )

Yes, I have several Late and Very Late's on my list as well
August and September (lately even the beginning of October) are quite balmy over here, so I expect them to do well



Mayo

hi Sue,

thank you for the links!

You are right, The Netherlands are in the 'infected zone'...
I wil certainly have to look for those little maggots next season...


I want pink, lavender and purple DL, but perhaps I should get an EE yellow one to trap the little so-and-so's



Mayo

Wildbirds!!!

Wildbirds, hello Mayo! I am in SW England where we have the dreaded gall midge. Some years are better than others for the earlies and extra earlies but I don't buy either unless they re-bloom. There is nothing more soul-destroying than having to cut off entire scapes because every bud is affected. I have not found the 'trap' theory effective at all. This year I lost all my e & ee plants plus some early mid-seasons. John Karl Seager has always put on a wonderful display but this year I didn't have one good bloom and it is not a re-bloomer

hi Hilary!

yes it must be heart-wrenching to cut of scapes because they are infected...

I haven't had any gall midges this year, does that mean I won't have any next year as long as I don't buy an infected plant?
Or does the midge travel in other ways?

Mayo

Wildbirds! I appreciated your post!
I'm happy to see Italy should be free from gall midge ( I wonder why since Germany it's quite close and it's risky).
Nice to find another member so "close" @Halfprice ! too bad you lost so many DLs. I hope you will find a solution for this pest!

uh oh black lapis is an EE!!!! I love black flowers and want at least one EE this would be perfect!