I prefer Spring planting. I've never lost one planted in the Spring, but I have lost many with fall plantings.

Debra

Debra, if many of your fall-planted plants were put in pots, that is another dimension. Newly-planted plants overwintered outside in pots are very susceptible to loss.

I should add that fall-planted plants really should be mulched. Can make a big difference.

Also, I particularly dislike it when sellers send plants in mid-May or later. Much too late to plant here without a lot of attention. Of course, nowadays I pot spring ones and plant in the fall.

Interesting thoughts. I do both although most of mine are fall plantings. But I am not sure that actually is by planned design. It just seems to be the time I have evaluated what bloomed well, what is going to be moved, what is leaving, and, of couse, what you guys have enabled me to purchase! I buy from one vendor who only ships in May so those are my "spring" plantings although it is hot here by then. Of course, if I visit a lily garden anywhere, any time it is in bloom, I purchase then. I do mulch my fall ones well. Other than some I did overwinter in pots, I am not sure I have lost any in- the -ground fall planting unless the plant arrived sickly anyway.

Kate

I like fall plantings. I've never lost one, and there is more of a chance of it blooming the following year than spring plantings.

Mantis - I'm talking about the ones I put in the ground or in raised beds - not in pots. I lose about 20 percent of those that are fall planted. Of the ones put in pots, I'm now losing about half of those each year, including hard dormants, no matter when I plant them. I'm not sure why this happens since I used to grow daylilies successfully for 5-7 years in pots.

Debra

Mantis and Debra,

I usually plant my fall acquisitions in the ground and mulch heavily. If I do get a plant later in the fall season, I will put a banana peel in the bottom of the hole to assist in creating warmth to encourage continued root growth. When I get plants in the spring, they are potted up until I can find a spot in the fall. By that time, I have removed select cultivars to make room for some newly acquired plants. The ones in pots will usually bloom for me later in the summer. When they are planted in the ground, in the spring, odds of seeing blooms is greatly reduced. If I still have some sitting in pots and I presently have 40 still in pots, I will sink the pots in my vegetable garden and cover with leaves. This will be occurring very shortly as I just turned over my vegetable garden.

David

We plant both times, but have really cut back on what we plant in the fall. We find that in our garden daylilies planted in the fall take longer to establish and we lose some of them. We really like to plant in mid April although many northern growers are not ready to ship then. In mid April the established daylilies are not so big that they overshadow the newly planted ones. Plus the cooler temperatures seem to be good for their growth. We really don't like to plant later than August.

Nancy

I confess I plant whenever I 'need' more daylilies (lol), whether it's spring, fall or even locally in the summer (from Harmon Hill). I haven't had any issues with any of these planting times.

Fall is the preferred time for us because of our longer growing season. We do mulch regardless whether we plant in spring or fall. To our knowledge, we have never lost a plant due to weather conditions, usually because the plant turns out to be defective or that roots have been destroyed by moles, gophers or ants.

Fall seems to work better for me to plant new plants, and divide my older ones. But I usually plant new daylilies no later than early September so they have plenty of time to settle before it gets cold. I rarely lose a plant in the fall, or in the spring for that matter. Unless, as others have mentioned, the plant was puny to begin with or moles pushed it out of the ground.

Debra, in the last few years, we have had lots of freeze/thaw fluctuations, which may contribute to losses in pots. Do you mulch your pots?

Am reading this with interest, noting people's zones when posted. This season has been a long one for us, with no frost yet. The last plants put in were in the last week of September. They are getting established, putting up some new growth, but I don't believe I would have wanted to plant much later. I have not yet mulched the new daylily bed, and would appreciate advice on the subject. Should I do so now, or wait till frost? If I'd planted in spring or summer, I would have mulched immediately, and dealt with slugs and such as needed, but in the cooler weather, I was divided on the subject, and have left the ground bare, watering frequently as the sandier soil in the area dried out.

Alex

Mantis - I mulch some pots but not all. The problem with fall planting here has been with most years it's still in the 90s through most of September, and some years into the first week of October. Plants that are sent through the mail are often fried and then don't have time to grow their fans back after planting. I've also lost a lot that I have grown in pots since spring and planted in the fall.

Like Nan, I prefer to plant in April or very earlly May. I woudl say 75% of those planted then bloom the same year for me.

Alex - I would recommend mulching now.

Debra

Thank you, Debra. We are due for some heavy rains these next 2 days;
after that, when the weather clears, it will be perfect for mulching. We
already moved the straw from last year's feral cat shelters into the
garden, so I have several bales of straw waiting for use!

Mantis,
I'm new to the daylilies, but not to perennials in general. I have
always preferred transplanting in the spring in my zone 5; I believe I've had greater
survival rate with it. Though, our winter's are changing. If it
continues to stay frost free and warm as it's been, fall transplanting
will become a viable method for me.
Alex

I have been mulching every year for the past 3 years, now that I have figured out great places to get free mulch [the very large property that our mega-church owns is surrounded on 2 sides with pine trees!]. That happens in early November usually. The pine needles seem to have improved the soil in that my daylilies have richer colors now. Still not as much as Celeste's, but moving that direction.

And like Celeste, I also have no problems planting in the mid-summer as well. Anytime seems ok here.