Yesterday, I spent an hour as the sun went down deadheading my daylilies. It was a gloriously quiet hour of reflection as I repeated the same action over and over to clean up these powerhouse plants. Summertime means removing spent flowers from perennials as they complete their bloom cycle. Repeat blooming daylilies are one type of Hemerocallis that will perform even better for you if you take the time to do this task. While it isn't necessary, doing it will get you better performance. And let's face it: in a perennial garden, flower power is everything! If the plant is spending all its energy and nutrient stores to form seeds, then there is that much less available to form flowers. By deadheading, you are conserving and redirecting energy toward flower production. Time to get out there and start deadheading. Yup, if you're a gardener that is a VERB! Happy Gardening!
Hemerocallis Stella D'OroDaylilies are strong performers in the garden.
Pictured here is the everblooming Stella D'Oro daylily. Basically starting in May this perennial will begin its display of golden, yellow flowering and keep going right up until a hard frost. If you deadhead them (cut off the old flower stalks at the base) you will get even more blossoms than if you leave the stalks up to form seed pods which over the summer will ripen and burst in the fall.
TWEETABLE TIP
Did you know that by deadheading a daylily it will bloom all summer? Learn how.
More repeat bloomers:
Plus...the plant looks super once all those seed pods are removed!
Let us know what your favorite plant to deadhead is!
FAQs
Perennials - How to deadhead a Daylily? ›
Deadheading daylily flowers is a simple process. Once the flowers have bloomed and started to fade, they can then be removed using a pair of sharp garden snips. Removing the old flowers from the daylily (deadheading) is not necessary.
What is the right way to deadhead daylilies? ›Deadheading daylily flowers is a simple process. Once the flowers have bloomed and started to fade, they can then be removed using a pair of sharp garden snips. Removing the old flowers from the daylily (deadheading) is not necessary.
How to keep your daylilies blooming all summer? ›Reblooming daylilies flower continuously, more or less all summer long. The keys to keeping rebloomers blooming are watering and deadheading. Drought will slow down flower production, but deadheading is even more important. Every third day, religiously deadhead not just the blossoms, but the ovary behind the bloom.
How do you get reblooming daylilies to rebloom? ›How can I keep them blooming all season long? Remove the faded flowers to encourage repeat bloom. This allows the plant to put its energy into re-blooming instead of forming seeds. Established plants benefit from regular division.
Will daylilies bloom again if you deadhead them? ›By deadheading, you're telling the plant to make flowers, not seed. Depending on the variety, a quick snip encourages the plant to send up new stems and buds. This is especially true for reblooming varieties like Happy Returns, Rosy Returns and Pardon Me.
What happens if you don't deadhead lilies? ›Deadheading lilies will encourage more flowers to form and prolong their display. It will also divert energy away from seed production, which can reduce flowering performance in subsequent years. If you're growing martagon lilies, don't deadhead these as these will gradually self-seed.
How many years do daylilies last? ›As stated above, each daylily flower only lasts about one day, while the plant itself can produce blooms up to three years. While they may not be long-blooming, they are jam-packed with large, colorful blooms that are easy to care for during their showy season.
How to deadhead perennials? ›Deadheading is very simple. As blooms fade, pinch or cut off the flower stems below the spent flowers and just above the first set of full, healthy leaves. Always check plants carefully to be sure that no flower buds are hiding amid the faded blooms before you shear off the top of the plant.
How many times do daylilies bloom in summer? ›Individual flowers last a day, but plants typically open successive blooms over four to five weeks. Rebloomers offer several performances yearly, while a handful of daylilies called everbloomers flower nearly all summer.
Should I cut flowers off daylilies? ›Though pruning is not generally required, it can be used to maintain the plant's appearance and keep flower beds looking tidy. Deadheading, or removing old flowers is also beneficial. Cutting back plants just after they have finished blooming can refresh a tired flower bed. Routine trimming can help to prevent disease.
Do daylilies spread? ›
Daylilies tend to spread quickly on their own, given the opportunity in the form of open space. To prevent them from taking over your garden, it's prudent to divide them regularly, as we describe above.
Why don't my daylilies keep blooming? ›The number one reason daylilies aren't blooming well is lack of sunlight. Make sure your plant is getting at least six hours of direct sunlight per day to bloom profusely. Examine the lighting conditions and, if necessary, relocate the plant to a brighter spot.
How to make daylilies bloom all summer? ›Daylilies are strong performers in the garden.
If you deadhead them (cut off the old flower stalks at the base) you will get even more blossoms than if you leave the stalks up to form seed pods which over the summer will ripen and burst in the fall. While it isn't necessary, doing it will get you better performance.
For dependable blooms, lilies should get 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily (aka “full sun”). If it's too shady, the stems will attempt to lean toward the sun or get spindly and fall over. Also, a well-drained site is critical. Water trapped beneath the scales may rot the bulb.
How to increase blooms on daylilies? ›Daylilies are strong performers in the garden.
If you deadhead them (cut off the old flower stalks at the base) you will get even more blossoms than if you leave the stalks up to form seed pods which over the summer will ripen and burst in the fall. While it isn't necessary, doing it will get you better performance.