Q- day lily bulbs

[Suma]

Hi,

I'm new to gardening .. my husband and I are first time homeowners since last fall.(Northern Virginia) I planted a some 40 - 50 lily bulbs last weekend in 2 rows on either side of the walkway becoz, the bag said to plant them 18" apart .. but now I read online that they should be planted in bunches ? for a good visual .. Will my lillies look scanty ? Will they flower this year ? shoudl I buy some more bulbs and plant them close the ones I already planted ?

Clearly I'm very confused. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Suma

[Doug Kanter]

Assuming you really mean "bulbs", then they're not daylillies (Hemerocallis). What kind of lillies do you really have?

[Suma]

My bad... they r definitely some kind of lilies .. not bulbs ... I rem the bags said something to the effect of "Day lily mix" some had tiny tubers like structures on their roots .. all of them had leaves beginning to come out ..

[Doug Kanter]

OK - that's what threw me - "bulbs".

If they really are daylillies, 18 inches is way too close together, UNLESS the package specifically says they are miniatures. They're probably not. For the first couple of years, daylillies don't need much space. But, once they start cranking, most can occupy a circle 3-4 feet across. After maybe 10 years, the growth in the center of the clump will be less than fabulous, and then you dig them up, split them into 3-4 pieces, and replant them. The clumps are NOT easy to split, and you'll need room around them to work.

On the other hand, if you DO put them 18" apart, be prepared to remove every other one at some point in the future. You'll know when.