I wanted to hear what others do. I always use triple 10 in the Spring but not as diligent in the Fall. What do you do?

Teresa

I fertilize in spring and after the flowering period - but I havedaylilies that start in August and flower in September
So I give every plant in August half of the amount fertilizer that I give in spring.

Thanks, Sue isn't it great that we have a place for all daylily lovers to post worldwide

bluegrassmom said:Thanks, Sue isn't it great that we have a place for all daylily lovers to post worldwide

I have heard a lot of people say that it is too hot in the summer to fertilize, the reason being because using fertilizer in the hot summer weather will cause rot. Yet, I have read that some growers fertilize their plants almost every time they water them. I am not sure of the fertilizing methods used by the Florida growers who always send the most beautiful leek sized daylilies, but it seems to contradict the statement that in summer it is too hot to fertilize. I mixed up a small tub of fertilizer the other day, got busy, and left it outside. It came a light rain and got the fertilizer got slightly wet. So instead of putting it back inside I used a tea spoon and spread it out among most of the seedlings in one bed. I will be watching to see what the results are. The reason for mixing the fertilizer in the first place was to use it on some plants I had dug and divided and placed in three gal. pots, and they were going to be left in the shade for a while.
I have experienced rot in the summer with some plants, but I have never been able to say for sure it was due to using fertilizer in the summer. I know that I have heard it said many times, but do others use fertilizer in the summer like a lot of the big name growers or is it not so that they use fertilizer all year long, or is the method they use different in a manner that does not cause rot?
For my daylilies I use a mixture of milorganite and 16-4-8 in the spring and also later in the year in the fall. This year I also started mixing in some miracle grow (foliar spray) when I spray for diseases and insects. I also add tons of oak leaves and pine straw every year as a mulch. I have not had my soil tested, but I have been well pleased with the growth of most of my plants. Just saying, what one person does in their garden might not be right for anyone else in the case of fertilizers used.

Good question, Teresa, and good ideas, Larry. I like the idea of balancing the ratio of Milorganite with another fertillizer. I like Milorganite but the ratio of the phosphorous and potassium are not ideal for hems.

This is my guesswork, but I have assumed that a weak/soluble fertillizer should be okay any time during the growing season as long as the plants are hydrated. I wonder if the pros have soluble feed integrated into their irrigation systems. ("Me and a hose" are the extent of my irrigation system up to this point because of the nature of our spring and pump. Plants get lots of love and monitoring but it's SO time-inefficient.)

When we fertilize, we want there to be enough moisture present that the plants aren't stressed and don't get burned by the intensity of the nutrients. The summer and fall can be characterized by periods of significant and extended dryness, which is why I haven't fertilized with granular in these seasons. But I WOULD like to give the plants a boost after flowering. That's when many of them add new fans. I guess sprinkling a little granular before a robust storm system comes through would be okay. I don't want the granular to get mobilized unless there is enough moisture to really spread the nutrients.

Thank goodness for this thread! I read somewhere that because of the excessive rains we had, most plants in pots would need replenished with fertilizer, since all the goodies would have washed away with the rain. So I sprinkled on some Osmocote Plus on the soil-surface. While I was at it I sprinkled some around the in-ground daylilies aswell, just for fun.
This thread has calmed any worries I had about doing that. I have previously been known to kill other types of plants with kindness.

Because we often have very dry and hot weather in August I have a liquid dilutable fertilizer at home - one closing cap per one watering can. 3 weeks in a row every plant gets a dose. This prevents damages that would occur when using a granulated fertilizer without enough rain.

Please realize my zone....do not try this in lower zones. I usually fertilize heavier in the fall...here the plant is getting ready for next year. I also think that much is dependent on your area in the summer, here fertilizer is "hot"...and laying on top of the soil...can just make the ground soil hotter. But that is not true for all areas.

Because there is a longer growing season here, spring fertilizing is not enough. I use water soluble fertilizer in the summer, weaker strength, a little more often, and apply it after watering. Length of growing season, soil, rain, temperatures-- especially night temperatures greatly vary from place to place, I think you have to figure out what works best for your own situation.
It is great to have these dialogues from such diverse areas.

May goodness and kindness follow you!

Thanks everyone for you input. I agree if you use granular you will need to do it before a storm or water it in. We have a deep well that was dug before we got on the public water system. I have also used the liquid MG kind that goes on your hose. Not sure if it helps much but it makes me think I am doing some good.

Anyone have recommendations for fertilizers to use for daylilies?

tracked said:Anyone have recommendations for fertilizers to use for daylilies?

Soils vary so much the best recommendation is to get the soil tested and go from there.

This is what I typically do when I have time (which I have little of with 5 children). I usually spread milorganite in the spring along with Miracle Grow hooked up to my sprinkler system. When I start to see scapes popping up all over the place, I give them another shot of Miracle Grow. That is it until winter. In the late winter when I have snow on the ground, I will go out there with a 10 10 10 granular fertilizer and spread it around all of the beds. I figure with the snow melt, the fertilizer will start to feed the plants. The plants love it, but the only draw back is that the weeds also love it. Of course, my family thinks that I am nuts and so do my neighbors.

If tending a garden was my only job, one of my daylily mentors during bloom season was always using Miracle Grow. I would visit her garden during bloom season and her husband had a big water container in tow behind his tractor and he was watering the rows of daylilies with a combination of Miracle Grow and Liquid Seaweed. Her plants always looked great.

These are just my thoughts.

David

In general, I do not fertilize. Sometimes I buy a time release fertilizer, but it never occurred to me to use it on a daylily. I have a few house plants that I carry out to the greenhouse every spring. I usually fertilize them.

When I pull weeds or trim plants, I always leave the scraps in the garden.

No chemicals in my garden... well except for the round-up and 2-4D:)

Years ago I talked about this issue with a friend who is a botanist and a landscape gardener - his advice was: don't make a science project out of this question. It's quite simple: on poor soil you will need fertilizer at once - on rich soil you will see when you have to fertilize - the performance of your plants will decline, if the nutritients are consumed.

If you grow plants with special needs, you will have to test your soil and to improve it, if it doesn't meet the special needs of your plants.

If you grow perennials for their flowers, choose fertilizers that stimulate flower induction; if you grow perennials for their leaves, choose fertilizers that primarily support growth of foliage.

If you are not satisfied with the results on your daylilies from using compound fertilizer, try rose fertilizer - it improves the performance of any flowering plant. This advice turned out to be right in my garden (situated on gravel ground - the neighbours grow mainly thistles and weeds).

Fyi, it appears that Milorganite is being phased out as was discussed in another daylily forum. I used Osmocote this past spring with a few other concoction mixed in.

Hazelcrestmikeb said:Fyi, it appears that Milorganite is being phased out as was discussed in another daylily forum. I used Osmocote this past spring with a few other concoction mixed in.

Not that I can get Milorganite here in Canada but are they sure it is being phased out in the USA? There has been concern expressed that it may contribute PFAS to the environment and PFAS are/were being phased out by industry, and there is apparently a shortage of Milorganite due to demand exceeding supply. Might someone have speculated based on that?

PFAS in Milorganite:
https://www.jsonline.com/story...

Info on PFAS:
https://www.epa.gov/pfas/basic...

Milorganite statement about shortage:
https://www.milorganite.com/bl...

Milorganite statement on PFAS:
https://www.milorganite.com/us....

I bought MILORGANITE about 3 years ago in a small-town building supplies store here in Ontario. I was there for another product - not garden related - and saw several bags on a pallet so purchased some for my garden. Like I said .... it was a few years ago ... Could have been old inventory even then?.

Disappointed to see the reduction in iron contained in Milorganite, the study showed the grass stayed just as green with the reduction, but the test was done in the south on Bahia grass, not a very popular lawn grass but a very course, rough grass found mostly in fields. It is considered more of a weed than a grass when found in lawns around here.

Ive got milorganite for the fall at least, put on around labor day. I fertilize pretty much year round except winter if its a bad one down here. Im gunna be lost without the milorganite.