How to Care for Daylily Bulbs

Daylily plants are easy-to-grow perennials that bloom from June to late August, depending on local climate conditions. The underground fleshy roots, or bulbs, survive in a wide range of soil and light conditions. The plant prefers a rich humus soil environment along with full exposure to sunlight. The long, flat leaves emerge in early spring and maintain the color until the first hard frost of autumn. Flowers come in a multitude of colors, depending on species. While the bulbs may not require much care, the plant responds to proper water, nutrition and weed protection.

Leaf rake
0-20-20 fertilizer
Compost humus
Organic mulch
Water

Instructions

- 1
  Remove all dead plant material after the leaves and old flower stalks have died back from the first heavy frost of the autumn season. Rake up all existing mulch material around the bed as the soil covering may harbor rodents which eat the tender bulbs.
- 2
  Move all organic material to a compost pile. The decomposed material will be added later in the spring.
- 3
  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the 0-20-20 fertilizer to each plant in the early spring. The plant food will feed the bulb for better blooms. Avoid using a fertilizer high in nitrogen, as this reduces the amount of blooms.
- 4
  Layer 1 to 2 inches of organic humus from the compost pile around each plant and the flowerbed.
- 5
  Add 2 to 3 inches of an organic mulch around the plants. The extra layer of material retains moisture and reduces weed competition for the growing bulbs.
- 6
  Irrigate the bulbs and plants during times of drought. Soak each plant to a moisture depth of 10 inches. Allow the soil to dry out between water additions.
- 7
  Weed around the plants and bulbs throughout the growing season. Competition from other plants reduces bulb growth and subsequent bloom size.

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