Judy - I just recently clipped the ends off my partial shade daylilies, so the tips have been long for several months. The reason I thought that the shade might have something to do with those daylilies having less rust this year (vs. last year) was because they do indeed look much healthier this year. I transplanted daylilies to the front yard as a border as well. Those are pretty much covered in rust except 2 or 3 different daylilies. All the rest in that border look pretty awful. I never had daylilies in the front yard before this year. They are in full sun. The intense heat in that border and the other full sun raised bed in the backyard are both showing the majority of the daylilies with rust. A LOT of rust! They look just like the photo I posted previous showing the rusty daylilies. I also have daylilies in other areas of my backyard. Daylily plants here and there in other garden beds. Those get partial shade as well. They also look better. I have not noticed rust on any of those daylilies. The only common denominator of those and the daylilies in the 2 partial shade raised beds is the shade factor. Most all those daylilies in the partial shade this year, were in full sun last year and had rust last year. So how can that be? I don't treat them for rust. My thought was that daylilies that are less stressed might be better able to resist or cope with rust infection. All the partial shade daylilies now look a lot healthier this year than they did last year in full sun. Could the stress of full sun, intense heat, and the occasional dry situation in the soil be a factor in the exposure and spreading of rust in daylilies? Those harsh environment factors really do cause stress in the plants. I have no other explanation for this.
And I agree, you would think that the partial shade areas would be MORE rust prone as moisture doesn't evaporate as fast in shade as it does in sun. But that has not been the case in my yard. What else could it be?
I am really very surprised that the partial shade beds have such healthy plants. I was concerned that it would be the opposite. Imagine my surprise!
