6 hints to help extend the life of your daylilies

Daylilies, when properly cared for, can last much longer than their namesake. Here are six proven hints to help extend the life of these majestic, eye-catching perennials for a splash of bold colour everyone will notice.

You can do a lot with daylilies in the garden.

• Daylilies merge harmoniously with many foliage and flowering plants.
• They can be massed for a swath of summer colour, a good tactic for planting on slopes.
• The new dwarf, continuous-blooming types, which grow to only 0.6 metres (two feet), are ideal for the front of the border and for containers.
• All daylilies have long, arching, grasslike leaves that look good before, during and after blooming.

Although the daylily flower's name suggests they last only a day, in fact you can count on most plants to put on a display for about a month. Don't get misled by this misnomer.

• By combining varieties of daylilies that bloom early or late in the season, you can lengthen the show by a few weeks.
• Some newer varieties are continuous bloomers that can flower well into fall.

It's all about timing and soil conditions when it comes to successfully planting daylilies.

• The best time to plant daylilies is in spring or fall.
• A site in full sun is best, but daylilies will tolerate partial or afternoon shade.
• In hot-summer areas, they actually prefer shade.
• Plant daylilies in well-drained, moderately fertile, weed-free soil.
• In good soil, fertilizer isn't needed. A diet too rich in nitrogen can lead to sparse flowers and floppy leaves.

After planting, daylilies are virtually maintenance-free but still require minimal care.

• The leaves of some cultivars may yellow after flowering, but you can easily remove them.
• If there's a lot of yellowing, shear plants to within 15 centimetres (six inches) of the soil to produce new growth.
• Dividing is necessary only when the central portions of clumps become crowded.

Before winter arrives, apply an eight-centimetre (three-inch) thick layer of mulch of straw, dry leaves or salt hay in the fall.

• When applied after the first hard freeze, the mulch will protect daylilies from the bitterest weather.

Sap-sucking pests, such as spider mites and thrips, may disfigure leaves and flowers.

• To control light infestations, rinse plants with a firm spray of water from a hose or apply insecticidal soap according to the package label.

In warm, wet weather, leaves may develop black spots caused by a fungus.

• This is a cosmetic nuisance rather than a threat to the plant's health.
• Simply remove the infected leaves.

Daylilies are shared freely between gardeners because they're so easy to divide.

• Make sure that each piece you remove from the parent clump has roots and at least one fan of foliage.
• For best results, trim the leaves to about 15 centimetres (six inches) above the ground before dividing. This makes it easier to see where to separate the plant.

Few plants are as dependable as daylilies and, despite their name, you can enjoy their flowers for much longer. All it takes is some preparation and a watchful eye.