Daylilies not Blooming

Daylilies not Blooming

Here are a few common reasons why:

• Daylilies need 6-8 hours of sun daily to do their best.  Daylilies that do not get enough sun will only have a few small blooms or they may not bloom at all. Darker varieties do benefit from afternoon shade to preserve their colors.

• Mulching to deeply / years of mulching to closely near the plants crown

• Daylilies need to be divided about every 5 years or so to perform well. When a daylily forms a large clump, it's time to divide. They ultimately crowd themselves out. 

• If your plant's roots haven't had a chance to get established early enough in the growing season. The plants will usually survive and typically bloom the following year.

• Dividing too late in the fall will likely result in the daylily roots not being established before the ground freezes. We recommended to not divide daylilies less than 6-8 weeks before the first frost date for your USDA Plant Hardiness zone. Find yours here: http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/

• Your daylilies may not be well suited for the local climate. Dormant varieties that do well in the south are tender varieties in the north. 

• Dormant plants in the south will continue to grow after the time they should be going dormant. This uses up the plant's root reserves and results in a weak plant. 

• Evergreen varieties in the north will be damaged by the freezing temperatures. The plant may survive but by the time it recovers it's too late to bloom. 

• Root systems from nearby trees and shrubs will take the available water and nutrients from your plants. This will cause poor plant performance.

• Deer love to eat daylilies. They will mow down your daylilies like no other. Inevitably they will find the flower you've been waiting all season to see bloom and make it a snack grrrrr.