Where did this tip come from? I take it that you have some doubt as to the validity, since you're asking here.

Does this mean cut off old scapes that have finished blooming, or does it mean to cut back the entire foliage? I'd be afraid that cutting back good foliage might also cut new scapes off rebloomers. Many daylilies that bloom once in northern states will rebloom several times here. I just snip off yellow leaves and leave the rest alone.

You might ask the experts in the Daylily Forum, or just search over there.

Nell

Nell

I know for sure I don't have any rebloomers - how do I know? - I had them for twenty years and none of them ever rebloomed. I started about three years ago cutting them back after they bloom. I cut the foliage back by half. To me they look better for the rest of the summer, and they are no less healthy. It's whatever you prefer.

When I had the plain ol' orange variety, I would cut the foliage down to about 4-5 inches after they bloomed. For me that was more like in July than June. The foliage would regenerate and they would be an attractive clump of strappy leaves for several months.

These daylilies have 'Common Purple' phlox coming on behind them.
The daylily foliage serves as a backdrop for the phlox, viewed from the other side.
I think I'll cut half of them back after this bloom is done, just to see.

These do not rebloom; they're old, old.

Nell

Nell, what is that huge shrub in the background? Is it a oakleaf hydrangea?

I love those old yellow daylilies. They are some of the prettiest!

It's an oakleaf, yes. It started out about 10 years ago as a small sucker from under one in front of a little house in town. I gave it the garden name of 'Sugar' in honor of the lady who gave it to me. She called her husband Sugar. It took it a long time to start suckering. This one grows straight up; there's one on the south side that spreads more horizontally, also from someone's yard.

Those daylilies are also the most fragrant. I was reading today that they spread by stolons -- not my experience; they just clump up into bigger and bigger clumps. Their only downside is that this one burst of bloom is all you get until next year. I try to have other things coming before and after them: sisyrinchium and byzantine glads before, lilies during, late daylilies, phlox and daisies after. These are the north edge of the bed. When the other side looks swell, I'll show you it.

Nell