New and Unread Tree-Mails
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Name: Dave (Zone 6a)  BlueRidge May 7, 2018 7:56 AM CST |
| Hello All, I appreciate the knowledge and advice on this forum, and look forward to your replies. I have a two-part question.... My daylilies here in Virginia (zone 6a) came up early this year, and are so big they've shaded the perennials in the shared bed. The perennials are stunted, and I wish to let them "catch up". Can I cut back the foliage on my daylily plants without risk of losing this years blooms? Lastly, is it too late to lift and divide my daylilies this Spring? I do not (yet) see any scapes, so I'm wondering if it is still an option. The foliage is about 12"-15'' tall at this point. I have early, mid-season, and late blooming varietals. Thanks in advance! |
Name: Larry Enterprise, Al. 36330 (Zone 8b)          Seedfork May 7, 2018 11:13 AM CST |
| @BlueRidge Keep in mind I am in a different zone, so this advice may not be any good for your location. But, I have cut back foliage early some years on some plants because of rust. The result was much nicer looking foliage and later, but same season blooms. I also think you could be safe digging up entire clumps with a large root ball(actually a large amount of soil around the base of the plants), but trying to divide them I feel sure would postpone till next year at least a large percentage of the plants blooming this year. |
Name: Sue Ontario, Canada (Zone 4a)           sooby May 7, 2018 11:28 AM CST |
| I've had to move them before flowering out of necessity. Even if they had scapes when dug up they still flowered, but only if I cut back the foliage when I moved them. The ones that didn't get the leaves cut back aborted their scapes. Some daylily nurseries "dig on demand" even when the plants have visible scapes. They cut back the leaves and leave the scapes on and the plants typically still flower. As Larry said, the more soil you can leave on the roots the less stress there is on the plant. |
Missouri (Zone 6a)   Frillylily May 7, 2018 3:29 PM CST |
| I'm moving a bunch now due to pathway project and I expect most of them will bloom. Not as much or as tall, but they will. Either way I just had to get the project done. |
Name: Roger & Karen Birmingham, Al (Zone 7a)      Diggerofdirt May 7, 2018 9:41 PM CST |
I believe a nice hair cut works miracles. I also am in different region and will separate anytime in spring and summer. When i do i always give foliage a trim, however i will leave a scape standing naked.  Every home needs a daylily, and every daylily needs a home. |
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