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Bulbs/splitting day lillies

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Expert: Long Island Gardener - 9/2/2006


Question
zone 7 i think also. winston salem nc. how do you split day lillies. i have some that are 4 years old. the plants have gotten really lagre. i would liek to split to make more plants.  have no idea how or when to do it.

Answer
Stan, the United States Nat'l Arboretum (www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/faqs/DaylilyDivided.html) posts step by step instructions on this very simple autumn task.

You're absolutely right to schedule this work now. It's the perfect time of year and it will pay off next summer with a bigger, more vigorous Daylily collection.

Lifting Daylilies is similar to lifting Dahlias.  First cut the foliage down to 6-8 inches tall.  Not only will this be easier to work with, but there will be less shock to the plants from transpiration through the long leaves.  The USNA recommends using a pitchfork, and getting as much of the rootball as possible, then using a second pitchfork to separate the plants within the rootball.  Quite easy and blessedly quick.  Replant the divided roots immediately and water well.

Easy as pie!

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Long Island Gardener

Expertise

Growing Tulips? Dahlias? Daffodils? Gladiolus? It doesn't get easier than bulbs and tubers. Once in a while, something goes wrong: The dreaded Narcissus Bulb Fly, which resembles a honeybee. Mosaic virus, which can ignite a field of tulips in a single season. Nematodes, lurking underground. Here on the North Shore of Long Island, the garden is full of surprises. If you live in the Northeast/Atlantic Coast, I can help you pick the right bulb for every season, indoors and out, and help you fertilize, bloom and harvest for home or work. How: I have degrees in related fields, but my best understanding is all learned from trial and error. For most of my 53 years I have been gardening somewhere. No matter what the problem, I've learned the best answers are always Organic -- Earth friendly, less expensive, healthier for people and pets, easier and cleaner than toxic liquids and powders that big chemical companies sell so smoothly.

Experience

Besides degrees in related fields, and a few favorite horticultural societies, I work as a docent at our local botanical gardens -- but it's the years of work in the garden that's the real test.

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