Charlemagne said:The rule of thumb seems to be that daylilies need one inch of rain or the equivalent in other watering per week. This makes sense during the "growing season." The growing season would be from first signs of growth through bloom, not ignoring hybridizers but it's simpler this way.
This rule of thumb can be misleading - my experience shows: it depends!
If your soil is loam full of nutrients like the garden of my best daylily friend - or if your garden is situated on gravel like mine; and it depends on the average temperatures because evaporation is different - my friend's garden is in a cooler alpine climate, my own in a quite hot influenced by mediterrenian climate.
Charlemagne said:So, what should our watering regimen be for the warm resting season, the cool fall, the winter, and early spring before signs of growth?
Charley
I can only say: look at your plants during growth season - they will show you if they like the amount of water they get. In our garden our irrigation system is not able to compensate the missing rain even if its turned on every morning and every evening. In the hot months our cistern is empty for weeks and to water with drinking water from the general water supply system here is expensive.
We can not use our irrigation system in winter when it freezes - two years ago we had a very dry fall and winter and in spring many daylilies were not able to come into leaf as usual - some did not survive and from all of the daylilies (dormant, semi-evergreens and evergreens) here half of the cultivars didn't flower at all and the ones that flowered hat only a few buds.
After this bad winter I can confirm: daylilies definitely need water during the non-growing season too!
