Sorry for the elementary question. Should one deadhead daylilies?
Harlan
Sorry for the elementary question. Should one deadhead daylilies?
Harlan
I do. It puts the energy into developing the plant, not making seeds.
The message from "HH" contains these words:
I do. First, the deadheads look unsightly and detract from the fresh blooms, and second, by deadheading you ensure that every last flowerbud develops and flowers.
Janet
I do not believe deadheading has any effect on providing more energy for the plant to bloom. If you want performance out of the plant then feed it properly in spring and water it well. Also, plant it is the sun and a good soil blend. I intentionally try set seed pods on the daylilies and have not observed decreased growth of my plants. With good cultural practices in place the daylily will perform well and will not be stressed in the slightest because of some spent blooms.
BTW, I do deadhead the daylilies everyday so that I do not have to look at the spent blooms. I cut them off high enough so that the pod will mature.
Bobby Happy Moose Gardens
I prefer the term "groom". I remove the seed pods as they form. I first had to learn how to distinguish them from flower buds since small pods and small buds look quite similar. I just snap the pods off their stem.
When a stem is through blooming -- no more flower buds -- I cut it back to where the foliage hides what remains. Several weeks later, the stump has dried. Then, I can usually pull it loose.
I don't know if grooming makes the plant more vigorous, but it does improve its appearance. Other plants do indeed grow and flower more vigorously if groomed. For example, some roses will stop flowering if pips (rose fruits) are allowed to form.
deadheaded, though producing sterile pods probably expends some energy too. A fully fertile variety definitely will put more energy into its blooms for a lengthened bloom season, & in its roots thereafter for a bigger clump with more blooms the following year. Some varieties rebloom later in the year & will be more inclined to do so if they don't go to seed the first time, as from the plant's point of view it's "done for the year" if it already produced seeds. The best way to test this would be to compare habits of rebloomers & assess the vigorousness of the second bloom.
It does take a great deal of energy to bring fertile pods to ripeness & that's energy that could go to the root system. But daylilies tend to be so vigorous in any case, with the wilder almost invasive, so it might only be a difference between extremely vigorous & extra-extremely vigorous for the non-rebloomers, & it might even be a good thing to let them seed so as to slow them down or they'll need division every bloody year.
-paghat the ratgirl
*****Now that's what I must learn as well. This is my first experience with daylilies, and I must be sure I'm not removing buds!
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