A Detailed Guide to the Latest Cultivation Methods for the Daylily

The daylily, also known as the large-bracted daylily, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Hemerocallis genus in the Liliaceae family. It has a particular tolerance for alkaline soil, can serve as a rare and valuable greening material for oilfields and tidal flats, and can also be used to arrange various flower beds, roadside median strips, sparse forest grass slopes, and more. It can also be used as ground cover thanks to its dwarf growth habit. Now let us take a look at the cultivation methods for the daylily!

Morphological Characteristics of the Daylily

The daylily has relatively short fleshy rhizomes, divided into fleshy roots and fibrous roots. The fleshy roots are spindle-shaped, and the fibrous roots mostly grow on the fleshy roots. It has short rhizomes, basal leaves arranged in two rows, and linear leaf blades about 30-45 cm long and 2-2.5 cm wide. The flower stems rise above the leaves and are branched above, with 2-4 small fragrant flowers. The flowers are large, with short pedicels and large triangular bracts. The corolla is funnel-shaped or campanulate to campanulate, with lobes curved outward, and the flowering period is July to August. The capsule is elliptical, slightly three-angled, about 2 cm long.

Growth Habits of the Daylily

The daylily grows under forests at lower altitudes, in wetlands, meadows or grasslands. It is highly cold-resistant, tolerant of full sunlight, and also tolerant of partial shade. It is not demanding about soil, but soil rich in humus with good drainage and permeability is best, and it should be fertilized regularly during the growing season. In the north, the underground tubers need to be dug up before frost and stored in an environment at about 5°C. The optimum temperature for open-field cultivation is 13-17°C. It resists infection by pests and diseases and has strong tolerance to noise and dust.

Propagation Methods of the Daylily

1. Division: When dividing, dig out part of the clump's tillers as planting stock. The dug-out portion should have roots, be cut apart at the shortened stem, and have old roots, rotten roots and diseased roots removed. Retain the fleshy roots as much as possible, shorten them appropriately, and then plant. Planting should be done on a sunny day, digging, dividing and planting the seedlings as you go, injuring the roots as little as possible, so that the plants recover quickly. Generally divide once every 2 to 3 years to ensure vigorous plant growth.

2. Seeding: The daylily enters its seed-collection period around September each year, and sowing takes place the following spring. The seedbed should first be given plenty of base fertilizer, with a bed width of 1.3 to 1.7 m and a length of about 30 m, with drainage ditches dug on both sides. When sowing, open shallow furrows about 3 cm deep every 20 cm, sow the seeds evenly into the furrows, cover with a layer of fine soil, and then spread a thin layer of fine sand. Water and weed before emergence, maintain good soil moisture, and the seedlings can be lifted and planted in autumn.

3. Bud division: Flower buds refer to the small plantlets on the daylily's flower stems. They can be cut from the flower stems, and if they are relatively large they can be further divided before planting. After transplanting, the flower buds can take root within a week. Rooted flower buds can be used to propagate plants, increasing the number planted and ultimately improving economic returns.

4. Tissue culture: Use organs such as young leaves, filaments and flower scapes to cultivate plants. The method is to first induce the young organs to produce callus tissue, then culture them into young plantlets using an appropriate medium under suitable conditions of temperature, humidity, light and air. The plantlets are then temporarily planted in nutrient pots, cultivated for a period into young seedlings, and afterwards planted out.

Cultivation Methods for the Daylily

1. Planting: The daylily is not demanding about soil and can grow normally even on saline-alkali land and gravelly land, but soil rich in humus, with deep soil layers, superior irrigation conditions, good drainage and permeability is best. When preparing the land, apply a certain amount of organic fertilizer, then level it, harrow it fine, and make beds 2-3 m wide for easy management. Plant by opening furrows or digging holes. Planting should not be too deep or too shallow, and a spacing of 30-40 cm between plants and rows is suitable. After planting, cover with soil and firm it, then water thoroughly.

2. Watering: During the entire growth and development period, the daylily generally does not need watering if the weather is not very dry, but if soil moisture is insufficient after sprouting in spring, the number of flowers will be affected. For this reason, in areas with spring drought, water promptly in spring. During the growing season, provide a sufficient water supply and keep the soil loose and moist; otherwise normal flowering and flower quality will be affected.

3. Fertilizing: The daylily should be top-dressed promptly starting from the second year after planting, which has a considerable effect on flowering that year. It is best to apply liquid fertilizer 3 times a year: the first time when new shoots reach about 10 cm, the second time when flower scapes appear, and the third time 10 days after flowering. The daylily has a long flowering period and a relatively large demand for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. In addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer at planting (well-rotted cow manure or pig manure is preferable), fertilizer should also be applied according to the needs of different developmental stages.

4. Weeding: After the daylily is planted, in order to ensure normal growth of the seedlings, timely intertillage and weeding should be carried out. Weeding is generally divided into two methods: one is to use herbicides to clear weeds in the field, and the other is to loosen the soil mechanically or by hand to clear weeds in the field.

5. Pests: Common diseases of the daylily include leaf spot, leaf blight, rust, anthracnose and stem blight, while the main pests are red spider mites, aphids, thrips, leafminers, etc. Apply pesticides for control at the appropriate time. For diseases, spray with 75% chlorothalonil at 800 times dilution; for pests, spray with Imidacloprid (Aimeile) at 3000 times dilution.