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Due to their unpretentiousness to growing conditions and aesthetic appeal, flowering daylily shrubs can be found in almost every garden. Today we will tell you what kind of care is required for daylilies in the fall on the eve of a cold snap.
Pruning in autumn
Preparation of flowering crops growing on the territory of the garden plot for winter begins in early autumn. The task of the summer resident is to properly prepare the plants for the upcoming cold weather. First you need to clean the garden from weed grass, vegetation residues, fallen leaves and broken branches. The collected leaves and tops are sent to a composter for humus.
The next stage of autumn care for horticultural crops is water-charging watering. Some plants do not like excess moisture in the soil. Therefore, the need for moisture-charging irrigation should be determined by the weather: if the autumn turned out to be damp and rainy, the soil can not be moistened. According to the descriptions of varietal characteristics, most varieties of daylilies are undemanding to watering. This culture is able to accumulate liquid in the pulp of the processes of the rhizome.
Fall is the time to prune flowering perennials. As for pruning daylilies, this procedure is carried out on the eve of stable frosts or immediately after them. If you rush or, conversely, be late with pruning, the plant may die.
First of all, dry flower stalks and leaves damaged by diseases or harmful insects are removed. The remaining foliage is cut off at a height of 10–15 cm from the rhizome. For work, it is recommended to use a sharp knife or garden pruner. Some gardeners prefer to break off the foliage with their hands, but in the absence of these skills, the plant can be injured. Damaged and incorrectly cut leaves begin to rot, over time, rot can spread from the aerial part to the root collar. The winter hardiness of daylilies and their ability to quickly recover in the spring depend on compliance with the technology and timing of pruning.
Video: “Pruning daylilies in autumn”
From this video you will learn how to properly prepare daylilies for winter.
Nutrition after the procedure
After pruning, daylilies need to be fed with potash-phosphorus fertilizers, which feed flowering crops with all the nutrients and nutrients necessary for the winter. In the last ten days of September, organic fertilizers are applied under the bush. Horse manure, bird droppings and mullein should be diluted with water and added to the groove around the perimeter of the overgrown rhizome. If desired, organics can be replaced with wood ash. After fertilizing, the soil is dug up to a depth of 5–10 cm.
Making a shelter
After the preparation of perennial crops for wintering is completed, it’s time to move on to shelter. Most daylily varieties of domestic selection are considered frost-resistant and do not require additional shelter for the winter. To increase winter hardiness, horticultural crops are mulched with a layer of peat, tree bark, straw, hay, small spruce twigs and dry sand.
Evergreen and deciduous varieties of daylilies (Evergreen, Semievergreen, Dormant, etc.) do not withstand the harsh winters, therefore, they need additional warming. Flowering perennials are covered with spruce branches, geofabric, lutrasil or spunbond.
Regional features
Many inexperienced gardeners are wondering if daylilies need to be covered for the winter in the southern regions of the country. In the Crimea, Krasnodar Territory, Adygea, Stavropol Territory, Kuban and other southern regions, winters are mild and warm, daylilies successfully hibernate and quickly recover without additional shelter.
Flowering crops that are grown in the gardens of central Our Country must be cut correctly and in a timely manner. You can protect plants from frost by mulching the rhizome and the base of the stems. At the same time, the height of the mulch should be no more than 5–10 cm, otherwise the daylilies will begin to rot. Central Our Country, including the Moscow region, is characterized by frequent temperature changes. A sudden thaw is abruptly replaced by strong winds and severe frosts. To prevent decorative and flowering crops from dying in winter, it is recommended to follow the weather forecast and cover / open plants in a timely manner.
The most difficult thing is for flower growers in Siberia and the Urals, where in winter the thermometer drops to -35 ° C and below. Some gardeners insulate flowering crops with pine spruce branches and any non-woven covering material, others use special wooden shelters in the form of boxes, inside which fallen leaves and dry sand are poured. The best option for wintering daylilies in regions with a harsh climate is to move shrubs to basements and cellars. As soon as the weather normalizes in spring, flowering crops are planted in open ground.
What to Avoid
Often, novice gardeners choose the wrong time to trim daylilies for winter. Early pruning leads to the fact that the plant begins to grow profusely and throw out new flower stalks. At the first frost, the perennial may die. Late pruning is dangerous because the flower does not have time to recover in time and prepare for a cold snap.
When cutting off leaves and peduncles almost at the same level with the ground, the winter hardiness of a flowering crop is significantly reduced. A sharp change in weather and temperature conditions leads to the formation of glaciation in the soil, which is fraught with freezing of young shoots of the rhizome.
Autumn feeding of plants in the garden with nitrogen-containing preparations can lead to the death of flowering crops. Feeding on complex additives, which include ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, sodium nitrate, ammonia water, urea, calcium cyanamide, ammonium sulfonate and other types of nitrogen fertilizers, the daylily begins to grow actively. At the same time, the flowering ornamental culture weakens, which affects its winter hardiness.