I wasn't going to make a comment, but need to clarify. I am not a master gardener, but do grow thousands of daylilies, most from seed.
Many other perennials, like Oriental Poppies, for example, put up new growth in the fall of the previous year, and this growth is needed
for bloom the following year. If I am growing dormant daylilies, or the older ones, there probably wouldn't be much of a benefit to adding
fertilizer late in the season. I grow a lot of the newer Evergreen fancy expensive ones, and don't have immaculately maintained and
beautifully landscaped gardens. Mine are just in a field, and I don't mulch them. We traditionally have extremely dry weather through
most of the summer, and then wet in the fall. My field looks fantastic right now, and a lot of it is largely due to fertilizing late after the
bloom season has ended. Since I can get a large blooming clump from an evergreen in two years, and first year bloom from a seedling,
experience tells me that I must be doing the right thing for me here in my garden. Perhaps fertilizing depends largely on where you live,
what kind you grow, and what you expect from your plants. I have extraordinary expectations for mine. I just think you need the strong
growth with evergreens here in the north if you want the nice flowers they have in Florida.... but I could be wrong!
