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Daylilies are one of the most common flowers grown in every corner of the country. All thanks to their unpretentiousness and beauty, however, and they need minimal care. A special place is occupied by the preparation of the daylily in autumn for winter.
Features of preparing daylilies for winter
The preparatory process is a set of measures that allows the rhizomatous perennial to successfully endure cold and frost. This brings it to the next flowering.
There are several stages of preparation:
- late autumn watering;
- feeding and transplanting;
- pruning;
- shelter or mulching.
All this is not difficult, but there are nuances that every gardener should be aware of.
Southern varieties need careful preparation for winter
In order for daylilies to successfully endure the winter period, they should be properly prepared. To do this, you need to know which varieties grow on the site, their winter hardiness and flowering time. After all, each specific type is mulched differently. Some perennials are enough to cover with non-woven material so that they do not freeze out, the rest need a high layer of mulch.
When to start preparing daylilies for winter
Regardless of the specifics of the variety, in each region of Our Country, daylilies are prepared for winter at a certain time. So plants tolerate cold better and bloom profusely.
Daylilies are frost-resistant perennials, therefore, in the south of the country they do not need additional shelter and special preparation. It is enough to cut the leaves. This must be done before the cold weather, so that a new leaf cover does not have time to grow.
In the middle lane and the Moscow region, the preparation of daylilies for winter begins in mid-October and continues until November. You can determine a more accurate date according to weather conditions. When the temperature drops below 0°C, it’s time to get to work.
In Siberia, daylilies are recommended to be dug up, but if this is not possible, then preparations for winter begin when the average daily temperature drops below 3 ° C. However, it must be borne in mind that severe and prolonged frosts can destroy even the most winter-hardy perennial varieties.
In the Urals, winter is long, so it is better to prepare daylilies in early October. Perennials need a good layered cover.
There is another rule that you can focus on when preparing daylilies for winter. All procedures must be completed a week before the expected frost, regardless of the variety and type of perennial.
How to prepare daylilies for winter
Autumn care and preparation of a daylily for winter in the country is a simple matter, even a novice gardener can handle it. There are many tips and activities, but with experience, everyone makes their own plan of action.
Watering
In summer, daylilies need regular watering. The soil is moistened 1-2 times with an interval of seven days. In autumn, watering is usually not carried out, especially in regions with prolonged and heavy rains. The plant will have enough moisture. However, if the weather is dry, then additional bushes need to be watered. It is important to remember that the water must soak the entire earthen lump, since the roots of the perennial go deep.
Additional fertilizing
Abundant flowering greatly depletes the perennial, so preparation for winter includes top dressing. Before the cold weather, the rhizomes should receive maximum nutrition in order to endure the upcoming frosts well.
The last top dressing is usually applied in the second decade of September. You can use both mineral fertilizers and organics. Preference should be given to:
- phosphorus-potassium mixtures;
- humus;
- mature compost;
- zole
After all fertilizers have been applied, the plant is watered abundantly.
Mineral phosphorus complexes are best applied in a dry form directly under the bushes. The soil is loosened beforehand, after which the granules are scattered and mixed with the ground. Such recharges prepare the rhizomes for winter, help transplanted plants to better adapt to a new place.
To feed daylilies, superphosphate or phosphate rock is more often used.
It is also better to apply organics in a dry form, but solutions can also be used. To do this, grooves should be made around the plant, it is good to shed them with fertilizers, and then fall asleep. Organics in preparation for winter are necessary for the daylily, as it increases its resistance to disease.
Trimming
Daylilies of all varieties must be pruned for the winter, regardless of the growing region. This preparation is done in order to avoid fungal infections of the plant. The remaining foliage gradually begins to rot, which leads to the development of pathogenic microflora. Perennial without pruning tolerates winter worse, often gets sick and may even die. In addition, under the remains of foliage, pests and other microorganisms gather for wintering.
Peduncles are cut immediately after flowering, without waiting until they dry out. This stimulates the emergence of new buds. In late daylily varieties, the latest flower stalks are cut along with foliage somewhere in early October-November.
Perennial leaves are cut off only after they completely dry out. In living tissues, the process of photosynthesis is still taking place, and all useful substances descend to the rhizome, which is very important for the plant. As a rule, daylilies, in preparation for winter, are pruned shortly before frost or in their first days. All plant residues are carefully removed from the flower bed and burned, especially if the plant is sick.
How to cover a daylily for the winter
Not all varieties of daylilies require thorough winterization and shelter. However, in the Leningrad region, in the Urals and in Siberia, it is better to pay special attention to this. If the winter in the region has little snow, and the temperature drops below -20 ° C, then additional shelter is necessary.
Those varieties that are most resistant to frost are prepared last. This can be done after the air temperature drops below 0 ° C. More heat-loving varieties are mulched even before the onset of frost.
You can cover daylilies for the winter with various materials at hand. Good to use:
- peat;
- dry foliage;
- sawdust;
- spruce branches;
- straw;
- humus.
Varieties bred in South America need to be covered with non-woven fabric.
All transplanted plants also need reliable shelter, as they have not yet had time to adapt to a new place. To protect the rhizomes from cold gusty winds, they are pre-mulched with a thick layer of humus. Height – about 10 cm. In regions with little snowy winters, a frame shelter is additionally installed, lutrasil or spunbond is pulled. If there is enough snow, then it is thrown over the bushes and rammed along the edges. The procedure is repeated throughout the winter so that the height of the snow cover is at the same level. Additionally mulched bushes can be covered with a wooden box.
In the spring, when the temperature rises above 0 ° C and lasts for several days, any shelter is removed. If this is not done, then the daylily may rot. This is especially dangerous for regions where thaws often occur in winter. All last year’s mulch must be burned, as pests may be under it. If all the procedures were done correctly, then the plant quickly grows.
Tips from experienced gardeners
Young daylilies need mandatory additional shelter for the winter, but adult plants tolerate cold snaps well under snow cover. They do not need special preparation and warming, it is enough to cut.
In the Urals and Siberia, the rhizomes of valuable daylily varieties are best dug up and stored in the basement, on a glazed loggia or balcony. They are planted in a permanent place with the advent of spring.
Preparing for winter includes pruning daylily leaves. Here you need to follow a simple rule so as not to provoke the growth of young foliage. All peduncles and stems are cut so that small stumps remain; it is impossible to cut under the root. For work, use a sharp tool, cut the leaves with a fan.
Early pruning of young plants and newly transplanted leads to leaf growth. This is unacceptable, as the rhizomes weaken and lose some of their nutrients before winter. Therefore, in the warm autumn, preparations can be delayed.
For perennial mulching, fresh manure is not used; it contains fungi that provoke root collar rot.
Before you cover daylilies for the winter, be sure to check the weather forecast. If warming is expected, then the bushes may fade, you will have to wait with mulching.
Materials for mulching are prepared in advance, dried well so that the cold is not taken by surprise.
All fertilizers are applied strictly according to the instructions so as not to damage the rhizomes. Nitrogen supplements are not used in the autumn, as they provoke the growth of dormant buds. If green foliage grows, then the plants will leave unprepared for winter. This weakens them, making them susceptible to diseases and pests.
Conclusion
Preparing a daylily in autumn for winter is an important procedure that should not be neglected. The climate of Our Country is so unstable that in different regions the approach to perennial will be different. However, proper proper care provides lush and long flowering, strengthens the immunity of the daylily.