"David E. Ross" wrote in message
...
On 8/8/11 4:42 PM, Chris Thompson wrote:
"David E. Ross" wrote in news:j1p5m0$lq2$1
@news.albasani.net:

On 8/7/11 7:50 PM, MJ Buzardbait wrote:
I would like to know if Day lilies can be grown in south central AZ.
I have just returned from the Midwest and have decided that I
would like to grow these flowers here.

Sunset's "Western Garden Book" says that daylilies (Hemerocallis) will
do quite well in all parts of the west except Alaska. I suggest you
wait until October to plant them. Then, the daytime air temperatures
will start to cool while the soil remains warm. This will encourage
root growth without putting stress on the foliage.

Anyone in or west of the Rocky Mountains who is serious about gardening
should have a copy of Sunset's "Western Garden Book". Once you get it,
the first thing you need to do is determine your Sunset climate zone.
While US Department of Agriculture zones only consider winter low
temperatures, Sunset zones also consider total amount of winter chill
(hours below 45F), summer high temperatures, humidity, winds, etc.


Is there a comparable volume for those of us east of the Mississippi?

"Sunset" is a monthly magazine that calls itself the magazine of western
living. There is a Sunset garden book intended for nation-wide use, but
I do not know anything about its contents or the quality thereof.

--
David E. Ross

I was pleasantly amazed this year when my wife bought some Asian lilies. We
buy the fragrant StarGazers in the store. But these were a different genus.
I expected them to wilt and die in our heat in a week. They took hold, and
flourished and flowered. They are still healthy and green, and will get
fertilized this week.

I think it is a combination of things like any plant. First, make a good
hole and put good starter soil in it. Add a SMALL amount of fertilizer
unless you are using fertilized soil. Wet the hole first. Watch the
watering for a while every time it comes on and adjust to get it right.
Plant it in a place where it is probable the mix of sun/shade will be good.
Lastly, check on it often, particularly in the first few weeks of growth.
And then learn how to cut back the plant so it isn't spending a lot of
energy on branches that have flowered and now will go nowhere.

The main thing I can say about gardens is: If you check on them every day,
or even more than that, you will have a higher chance of success. I got two
big honking tomato worms on one of my tomato plants the other day. They
sekeletonized the top half. Lucky I caught it, or they would have gone down
the row. Daily or more frequent checking nips trouble in the bud, as Barney
Fife used to say ................... Andy, we need to nip this in the
bud...................

Steve

--


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