daylily maintenence quandry

[scorman@stny.rr.com]

We live in mid NY and typically only the common fulva and flava turn
brown after flowering, so I cut them down to the ground and they
resprout for the fall.


This year we had a very dry spell with no rain for five weeks and even
with hand watering, the hybrids ie stella, ice carnival, etc turned
partly brown and slumped flat to the ground ...I had removed all flower
stems as each is finished during the season.

With cooler weather and some rain, I then propped them up and numerous
new shoots are forming at the bases. Is it adviseable to pluck off the
brown or yellowing leave shafts to stimulate the new growth? ..will
this enhance or inhibit the reblooming varieties?

Is it better to cut flat to the ground next time in mid summer after
blooming is finished as I do with the orange ditchlily or is that old
growth needed for reblooming species?

Stew Corman from sunny Endicott

[Vox Humana]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> We live in mid NY and typically only the common fulva and flava turn
> brown after flowering, so I cut them down to the ground and they
> resprout for the fall.
>
>
> This year we had a very dry spell with no rain for five weeks and even
> with hand watering, the hybrids ie stella, ice carnival, etc turned
> partly brown and slumped flat to the ground ...I had removed all flower
> stems as each is finished during the season.
>
> With cooler weather and some rain, I then propped them up and numerous
> new shoots are forming at the bases. Is it adviseable to pluck off the
> brown or yellowing leave shafts to stimulate the new growth? ..will
> this enhance or inhibit the reblooming varieties?
>
> Is it better to cut flat to the ground next time in mid summer after
> blooming is finished as I do with the orange ditchlily or is that old
> growth needed for reblooming species?

My common daylilies evaporated this summer. The are just starting to come
back now. The stellas held-up a little better and are now starting to bloom
again. I would leave them all alone, removing yellow and brown foliage to
make them tidy. I wouldn't cut them down as a preventive measure because I
think you will sacrifice blooms.