As an Oregon State University certified Master Gardener I have learned the spent flower stalks should be left on the plant until thoroughly dried & can be easily pulled up with a gentle tug. The reason for leaving them there is those flower stalks contribute to feed the plant as they slowly dry up. Day lilies are either Dormant (dying down to the ground); Evergreen (staying d green all year long) or Semi-evergreen (partially dying down & staying green). Everything above ground feeds the root system below ground, therefore the gardener should leave foliage alone unless it is completely dried up. Leaving dead foliage on the ground leads to all sorts of bacterial problems, certain insects that no gardener will want. Personally I deadhead all my day lilies every day. I place my thumb and forefinger just below the ovary and snap it off. No seed heads ever! Happy Gardening, Y’all. Victoria👩🏼🌾
Hi Victoria, I can see doing that (leaving spent flower stalks on the plant) at the end of a season - but - during the Summer, the plant's energy goes into the developing ovary and helps it to become a seed pod, which also indicates to the plant that it is time to stop producing flowers as the season for flowering is ending - even if it's only mid-July. If the ovaries are removed with the spent flowers, then the plant's energy works to produce more beautiful flowers on new flower stalks (stems). If you mean leaving the stalk without any flowers on it, leaving those doesn't do too much to help with plant energy, as usually by the time the flowers on a particular stalk are finished, the stalk is already turning brown -- at least that's always been my experience. 💛 And yes, reblooming daylilies will produce more flowers if regularly deadheaded, while once-blooming daylilies may produce a few more flowers but not the same as reblooming ones.
@@GardenSanitythis is all so helpful for a complete gardening novice like me. I transplanted 3 good sized bundles of day lilies around my mailbox. I want them to spread and make a thicker clump, so should I leave the seed pods to drop more seeds? Thanks ☀️☀️
@@wendizoid My pleasure and I'm so glad this was helpful! 💛If it was me and I wanted to try growing daylilies from seed, I would leave only a few seed pods on one of the plants - perhaps pick one stem to leave as is - and continue to remove the other seed pods from the plants. This way, each plant's energy continues to focus on the plant rather than developing the seed pods. Believe me, your daylilies will develop into thicker clumps before you know it! Once the seedpods have dried, you can take the seeds (inside of it) and plant them into pots to start up new plants. Keep in mind it will take (on average) 2 or 3 years for the first flowers on those plants to show up, so patience is needed! 👍
Outstanding video! This is the clearest and most detailed resource I have found on managing the blooming of daylilies. I am heading out right now to apply your lessons and keep my beauties in bloom all summer. Thank you !!! 🌼💛🌼💛
Really great illustrations and explanations, thank you! One criticism: remember all your little insects and insect eggs (that feed birds and pollinate) are hiding in that "garden trash." Don't throw it away-- compost it and allow those bugs to be born! There are very very few things in my yard that I ever have to throw away-- typically just powdery mildew or a seriously invasive plant. A whole yard's worth of refuse in the fall will compost down into great stuff during winter if it's in a sunny spot. My compost produces steam even when it's below zero with 2 feet of snow on the ground. I never need to put out bags of garden trash to fill up the land fill.
Good deadheading tute. But for newbies worth noting it's not a bad thing to tolerate a bit of a messy garden because of the habitat it provides. I also only discard if it is diseased. I usually deadhead and drop the material as a green mulch or loosely pile up beside my compost heap for habitat there. The beauty is there for us or anyone who happens by, but the rest of it is for God's little creatures. ❤ Without whom we would not have the garden in the first place. I consider it a collaboration. 😌
Yes indeed, and I should have made this clear so everyone understands: our local recycling center takes garden refuse of all types, in different bins, for composting. I only throw away any rose leaves with black spot, or anything that might be detrimental to leave in the garden. 👍🐝🐞🐦
@@hiredgun7996 Yes, as I just mentioned to the original commenter: our local recycling center takes garden leaves, lawn clippings, garden clippings and so on, in different bins, for composting, so no worries. 👍🐝🐞🐦
@@megancarroll9646 Indeed you are correct! 👍One of my popular videos here on my gardening channel is one I did last Fall, explaining why I leave most of my garden cleanup until the Spring. It protects the nesting bees, provides food for birds, and protects the existing plants from extreme temperature changes in the soil. Plus the Winter interest is beautiful! And when I see bees during mild Winter days foraging on my Winter-blooming heath and hellebores . . . well the joy is immeasurable! 💛Thanks for sharing! 💛
I've had daylillies fior years and while I always deadheaded them when the flowers are done blooming, didn't know to remove the ovary. Thanks. Happy I found your website. I'm now a subscriber.
Thanks for subscribing Linda! I really appreciate it! 😊 I was doing the same exact thing as you -- and many gardeners -- for years, so once I discovered this solution I had to share it! Glad it helped! 🌼
I’m a brand new daylily parent. Is it ok to trim the leaves in the middle of summer or should I wait for fall or spring? I love in Northern Alberta if climate makes a difference.
Daylilies are my favorite flower and I never knew about the ovary. Mine are rebloomers too. Thank you for showing us all the parts of the day lily. Happy gardening to you too.
Thank you so much for this video. I will start today checking those lillies. I have had them for years and always thought they bloomed and were done. Love em when they bloom, but not when they start to wilt. Thanks again!
I whack my Stellas to the ground after first bloom in Spring with Weedeater. I did this last July 2. Aug 8, I have a lot of blooms and buds for two more weeks. I did fertilize in the Spring. I have done this for 5 years. Works for me.
The other day I read that tiny native bees (important pollinators!) nest inside hollow stems for the winter, so it advised leaving a number of them standing until spring. I guess being even a foot or two higher than the ground adds a degree or two of temperature, and the enclosing stem does offer some protection. The article didn't specify which plants' hollow stems the little bees use most, but lily stems seem likely because they're so sturdy.
Apologies for my way-too-long delay in responding. 💛 I've always found that the stems of daylily flowers aren't quite hollow like some of my other perennials. Bees also nest at the base of plants during Winter and among the fallen leaves on the ground, so yes I minimize my cleanup in Fall too for that reason. I usually leave most of the leaves in garden beds, and will leave most stems standing. Good point you made - thank you! 👍
@@robertahoffmann8820 So true Roberta! 👍I made an entire video last Fall about waiting to do any major cleanup until the Spring, to give bees and other pollinators a chance! I'll remove anything that is diseased, but otherwise I actually enjoy the look of stems and dried flowers during Winter. (And when the bees come out on mild Winter days to enjoy my Winter-blooming flowers - like Heath and Hellebores - it's wonderful knowing they're able to feed in my garden!) Also perennials do so much better when not cut down to the ground. That's why I don't cut the daylilies down to the ground, I always leave several inches so they can hide and nest; and I'll leave any late-blooming daylily flowers in the Fall for the bees. Thank you for the excellent point! 👍💛😃
Thank you so much for your feedback Tyler! 🙂 I was amazed at what a difference it made for me, once I knew where to deadhead. I hope you enjoy many more daylily blooms this season. 🌼
Thanks for the feedback -- I really appreciate it! 😀 And yes, I know what you mean about saying versus demonstrating -- which is why I'm always very aware of demonstrating how to do something to help out fellow gardeners. 👍 🌼
I deadhead mine almost every day when I walk by. Another thing that helped flower production was cutting down a river birch tree that we didn't ever have nearly enough rainfall to support, so it was always dropping leaves and twigs. The resulting extra hours of daily sunshine on the day lilies really fired them up.
That's a great way to stay on top of the deadheading, versus tackling it all at once which turns it into a chore. 👍 It's funny, I just mentioned in my latest video that I plan to trim up our River Birch to give my Little Limes more space and room...and sun too! It does make a difference. Enjoy the Fall season! 🌞🍂🍃
This was one of the BEST instructional videos on gardening I've seen in a long time. I will use this info this season. Thank u for the concise and informative instructions!
This video is fantastic and so informative, I have lots of daylilies and want them to look good at all times....you don't ramble on you get right to the point and right to the lesson. Thank you!
You're welcome Nicole, and thank YOU for your feedback! I know when I'm watching other videos, I like to skip over the rambling . . . so I try never to do that in my own videos! Glad you appreciate it! 💛
Hi Laura. Daylillies are the most easiest plant to grow in pots or in the ground but they do require maintenance. This was the best tutorial hands down. I personally don’t cut down the leaves & they continue to bloom into Fall. I just do the deadheading & clean up. The foliage looks so beautiful in my yard.
I haven’t tried growing them in pots. Do you find they require any more upkeep while in pots? In the ground, other than deadheading which can be therapeutic to do as a relaxing garden chore, they are pretty easy. 🌼 I’m so glad you liked this video!
@@GardenSanity growing in pots requires the same care. Just the occasional deadheading & cutting back leaves in winter. Also Osmacote pellet fertilizer to feed. That’s it.
Thanks, that’s great to know! I may try growing more plants in containers and group them together as pop-up gardens. At some point, anyway. I love how groups of containers look together. 🪴🪴🪴
Excellent video!!! I'm new to growing day lilies and get nothing but seed pods which I thought would bloom into flowers. Now I know what to do. Thank you so much for your help.
This is exactly what I’m doing with my daughter & this video was so helpful. She listened to your video more than listening to me & I literally said the same stuff-THANKS😊
Garden Sanity has done an excellent job creating this video - the visuals and the spoken information. As an avid gardener with daylilies and many other plants, I agree wholeheartedly with the information and recommendations. Well done! The only addition I would suggest is a brief video showing people a close up of the act of snapping off the infant seedpod. (Lastly, I'm guessing the maker of this video was/is a teacher by profession. Well organized and presented.)
Many apologies to you Christina, for my horrible delay in responding to your comment! 💛 Thank you so much for your positive feedback, including the suggestion for a future brief video too! I'm not a teacher by profession, but I have done video tutorials and written how-to articles for years, so I always strive to stick to the point and keep things simple and organized. I want to make videos that "I" would want to watch if looking for information. And lastly, I love to share my own love of gardening! (And since you're also an avid gardener, I know you understand the joy of gardening!) 💛😊 Thank you again!
Good tips! Mulching them also helps them keep blooming. I think that’s why they do so well in commercial settings even though they get completely neglected, otherwise.
Thanks Will! And you’re right - good point about mulch! 👍 It’s funny: whenever I see daylilies in a public space that need to be deadheaded…I must fight the urge to do so. 🤣 Same when I see Knockout Roses around commercial spaces. 😂
You can trim the brown stems and the dead leaves and just leave them around the plants as mulch. The hollow stems will provide winter home for bugs and the dead leaves will compost down as well as provide mulch for the plant. Crazy to put it all into plastic bags to go to garbage.....EEEEKK!!!!!!
This was SO helpful! bought a house in the Catskills in December and there are day lillies everywhere (I actually pulled up tons of them just to add some perennial diversity). I'm new to all of this and I learned so much from this. Thank you.
Congrats on your new home Derrick -- I hear the Catskills are beautiful! You're smart adding in more perennials, as they will require much less work than annuals over time. 👍 I love perennials!
I hope your daylilies are blooming with more flowers this year! (Remember, it is the reblooming varieties that will have more than one flush of blooms a season. But even if yours are not a reblooming variety, deadheading properly will definitely make the blooming last longer.) 👍😃
Thanks. I do the deadheading on my Stella D'Oro and the tall orange ones, but I have not pruned. I will start doing that. I love when they bloom in the spring and it would be delightful to see more and more each year!
Huge apologies for my delay in responding to your question Kay. Some varieties of daylilies only have one blooming period, while others are rebloomers that will produce many flushes of flowers over one gardening season. So first is knowing which variety you have to see if it "should" be flowering more than once a season. If you have a rebloomer and it only blooms once, it is most likely because there are seed pods that need to be removed, which tells the plant to stop producing the seeds and instead return to producing new flowers. I hope this helps! 💛🏵
Excellent video! 10+. I will be applying all I learned here. Saved this to my Gardening Library. Watched it 3xs already and read many of the comments. Thank you. Thank you!!!
My pleasure Emma, and thank you so much for your feedback! 😊 Although you left this comment over a year ago, I want you to know how much I appreciate it. 💛
Great video. When I clean up the browned leaves, I put on some kitchen rubber gloves. The leaves kind of stick to the gloves. It’s so much easier to clean up.
Great suggestion Janet! 👍I do something similar, in that my garden gloves are rubber-coated, so I get the same effect whenever I garden, as I always wear them. You're 100% correct: it makes clean-up so much easier! 😃🧤
Yayyy I was so excited to see your video…….. I was starting to worry 😁. Thank you for this great lesson and hopefully soon we can see a walkabout or garden tour!!! 🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷
No worries Chris, this one just took me awhile to complete. 🙂 A walkabout with planting will be coming later this week…after one more pruning video. ✂️😀🌺
@@chrismarchetti-olson6632 Well, I just published the "prequel" video to the mash-up, where I prune back the Japanese Helleri...and the mash up will show what I planted in front of them among other things, so stay tuned! 💚 🌞
Absolutely the best video on how to maintain daylilies! Not only a description of what to do but an explanation of why we are doing what is described. This video got me to tap the subscribe button and turn on the notification bell. Thank you! Oh and I came in to look up how to care for daylilies after I questioned whether I was removing seed pods or newly forming flowers. Your video confirmed that I was removing seedpods.
Thank you so much for your feedback Anthony! 😊 I work very hard to make videos that answer my own questions I’ve had about gardening. Although not everyone appreciates the “why” and would rather just know the “how” and move on, I always like to know and share why we need to do certain things . . . and sometimes why we don’t need to do them. I feel like it helps provide a better understanding of gardening tasks. (And as for those seedpods, I felt like it was such a game changer to learn the difference between them and new flower buds!) 🌼
Thank you for making this video. it is well presented and very informative. I am much more informed and will apply what I have learned to my own Daylilies.
WOW!! I didn't know about the ovary creating the seed pods. No wonder I get too many seed pods. This was very informational and I've had daylilies for over 30 years. Imagine how many ovaries I've left behind!!!😄 I'm going into my next flush of different colored daylilies and I will definitely be taking the whole bloom off. And I hope once I get in there and remove all my stems "with" seed pods, my second flush of stella d'oro daylilies will put more energy into new stems. Thanks!!
I know Janice -- that's how I felt when I first learned this too years ago! 💡 You had me laughing with your "how many ovaries I've left behind" comment! 😂 What colors of daylilies do you have? There are so many pretty ones out there!
@@GardenSanity I have every color from white to deep burgundy. They're starting to bloom now, I just have to keep the deer out. I have a few double yellow I love and when we moved in 36 years ago, behind our lot was a field of triple orange. I dug up, separated and planted all over our new gardens. They really are spectacular but spread out almost too much. I've dwindled down how many I have but I'll always keep a few. Today I decided to clean up round one of the stella d'oro but was careful to pinch off all the way to the ovary on the stems still blooming!! Thanks so much.
@@hd1ab1 Oh your daylilies sound wonderful -- and colorful! I have a soft spot for the orange color, even though I mainly see them on the edges of roadways -- I always joke with my husband that I want him to stop the car and pull over so I can dig some up. 🤣 🧡
I never knew to break them off so just gently pulled the dead bloom off. My Lillies have spread like crazy and are gorgeous. I'll start doing what you illustrated and maybe I'll get even more. I only started out with a few stems I transplanted from a family camp and now have at least a 6' spread on each side of my doorway . 🥰
Oh your doorway entrance area must look stunning with all of those daylilies! Wow! I always gently pulled off the blooms like you did, until I realized that those "pods" that were forming weren't more flowers, but instead seed pods. However, in your case perhaps those seeds falling are what helped multiply your plants over time! 😀 💛
What a great video! I really got a lot out of your info. Thank you and I have subscribed. Good presentation! PS I live in a high desert, 6000+ ft altitude. I find that not removing the dead in the fall helps mulch the plants. I love these plants. So hardy!
Wow - you do live up high Danica, while I'm near the ocean! I do minimal Fall pruning and cleaning too, as I like the bees to have places to hide and nest, and I like the birds to be able to feed on any seedheads from coneflowers, rudbeckia, and so on! 👍💛
Very helpful my father passed away and he has a huge day lily garden because he loved them so much. This was very helpful information so I can maintain them.
I'm so sorry about your father passing. 💛 I'm so happy this video was helpful. Your maintaining his daylilies is a wonderful act of love. Coincidentally, my own father (93 years old) just told me this morning that his daylilies came back when he didn't think they did. He was so happy, and it filled me with joy to hear him talk about them. Wishing you much peace. 🌼
Only if you have a variety that repeat blooms. Most daylilies do not. Same as some roses that bloom all summer (repeat bloomers) or one time flush of blooms in the Spring. Depends on the variety - she is talking about the variety, Stella d’Oro…they ARE repeat bloomers if you don’t let them go to seed.
Apologies that I haven't replied to your comment until now, but I'm so happy you did get a great reply from a fellow gardener here! Yes, if you have a reblooming variety, you're in luck for more than one flush of blooms as she said! 👍
Hi Thank you for such great information. Now I know what to do with my daylillies. I asked a question and you came up So until next time God Bless you and have a Blessed day and stay safe my dear and Special Friend.
I was completely puzzled when my lilies stopped blooming and developed the hard pods this month. I feel so smart now. In the morning I will be out with my snippers! Thanks!
Thank you so very much!! I'm so happy that I found your channel as I really needed this!! Just subbed and looking forward to viewing more of your AWESOME and well done instructional. ❤
