Hello Ruby, welcome to the forum. Don't worry about covering the plants for temps like that. As long as they have started growing, you will be fine. Judy (prettypetals) gardens in Geoergia, and I am in central Alabama, so our climates might be similar.

I fertilized as soon as the plants are up good and the fans are about 3 inches high. I also fertilized three more times this year and have had incredible rebloom. Some of it will be trial and error for you like everyone else, but take a look at Shaws in the springtiome and see what they are doing.

Good luck, and again, welcome to the forum.\
kay

Thank you Kay
would a nitrogen fertilizer such as milorganite be good for the fall or just an all around fertilizer?
P.S. Congratulations on your retirement!!!
Ruby

Hi Ruby, Welcome to GW!! I have grown daylilies for a long time but have never fertilized them until this year. I don't know why but they have always bloomed well so I never thought about fertilizing. I have been adding quite a few more lilies the past few years so have been asking questions like you from all the great folks on here. They are always here to help out. Like Kay said, we are in the same zone almost and I am going to try to follow her suggestions for a fertilizer program. I used fish/seaweed emulsion, as Rita suggested this fall and good gravy they greened up soooo awesome!!! I don't cover mine with anything in the winter since we usually have mild winters and they come back every year just fine. I haven't posted any pics this year due to plain old laziness, lol, but might post a few this winter. Good luck and can't wait to see your pics next year. Judy

Hi Ruby,

What I take from the many different methods people have for fertilizing is that daylilies are extremely tolerant and happy with a variety of fertilization programs. If you plant them the right depth and get them started, they will do quite well.

Nate

Thank you Judy and Nate for responding. I think I will try a different fertilizer for two sections and compare the results in the spring. As Kay said it seems I will learn by trial and error, smile!!

Welcome Ruby. I haven't been on for a few days, so I missed your post!. Like prettypetals, I seldom fertilize.. I alwys feel that it ain't broke, don't fix it but I did a bit this year anyway! They did no better than usual for me. My soil is a mixture. Some area's it's solid rock and some places it really sandy. My foliage doesn't get quite as big as some I've seen but my blooms are large and pretty most times. My climate, ( even though I'm considered 7 ) is much more like 6 here on my mountain.. Again, welcome to the Forum..now you don't have to lurk. Hehehe!! Ellie

Ellie
I have seen pics of your daylilies and if you can accomplish that without any fertilizers then I won't worry too much about mine.

Welcome Ruby,

I don't fertilze much either since I used composted Donkey manure. I figure the manure has enough wonderful nutrients in it for my daylilies. So would your cow manure.

I also don't fertilize anything in the fall since they are now trying to go to sleep for the winter and adding fertilizer might re-energize them when they should actually be winding down.

But since my zone 5 is much diferent than your zone 8, not sure if your plants care about winding down for winter.

Hi Ruby: You are in a wonderful state for daylilies! Check out the AHS website for clubs and display gardens. Georgia has many great hybridizers...lucky you!

The national convention was in Georgia last year (2010) and was just fabulous!

Good luck with your new plants and welcome to a very fun and healthy hobby!

Here is a link that might be useful: American Hemerocallis Society

Hi Gonegardening
I am also a lurker at your website gotta garden. My husband is also jokingly known to our family as Driving Miss Ruby coming from a large city I never learned to drive and I am struggling to learn now. I really like the way that you list all the info about every daylily that you grow. Hopefully my driving skills are better by spring and I will be able to get involved in AHS.

Thanks pamghatten
From the responses I received it is divided on whether to fertilize in the fall, but it seems that either way the daylilies will survive and maybe even thrive with or without it. What do you use if the spring?

Hi, Ruby :)
I use Yum Yum mix and seaweed or fish fertilizer in spring and the plants seem happy and I'm so with you on the driving. I learned to drive in Nebraska and moving to NYC was a shock!! (Why are there other cars on my road???? Are they HONKING at Me???? *panics* )
Gotta love the subway. Lol ;)

Crackingtheconcrete
You do understand!!! I live in nyc all my life until recently and MTA was the way to go!!!! I don't understand why I panic so because people down here don't beep they just go around me (I can't seem to get pass 40mph)

Welcome to the world of gardening! Since you're looking for all the advice and info you can get, my recommendation is to consider joining both a local daylily club and the national society (AHS). There will be boatloads of info available, not to mention friendships made, invites to events and gardens, the chance to see daylilies growing in gardens near you, the chance to pick up great plants at your club's auction/sale, a journal, regional newsletter, your club's publication(s), and on and on....I will say, very definitely money very well spent!

ruby - I use Milorganite to keep the deer away, it's a fertilizer but my main use of it is for the deer. I put new compost/donkey manure in my beds regularly so don't feel the need to add anything else.

I refuse to use chemicals in my gardens; non-organic matter. There are enough poisons in the world, I don't want to willingly add more.