splitting daylilies

[Parag Batavia]

Hello, My daylillies have lots and lots of foliage, and very few blooms (due, in part, I think, to all the rain we're getting here). Someone suggested that splitting them might help increase the blooms. I'm in Pittsburgh. Is it too late for me to split them? I assume all I have to do is dig them up, cut them in half or quarters, and re-plant? Thanks,

Parag Batavia

[Cheryl Isaak]

I'd use two garden forks to pry soaked clumps apart - at the very least soak the clump and it just might fall apart.

That being said, it is early for daylilies to be blooming unless you have lots of extra early bloomers.

Cheryl

[Vox Humana]

You can dig and divide them now. They will probably look floppy all summer. I'm just down the river in Cincinnati, and some of my daylilies started blooming this weekend. Others have sent up flower scapes. If you divide them now, you might sacrifice flowers or delay blooming. Take a hard look before you dig them. That said, You can't rally hurt them. If they were mine, I would wait until fall to divide them. Try giving them some fertilizer, but nothing too high in nitrogen, as that will promote leaf growth at the expense of flower formation.

[zxcvbob]

I planted some daylilies and siberian iris last fall in my vegetable garden for lack of a better place to put them. They all made it though the winter and the daylilies look good -- some of them have a few flower scapes. The clumps are bigger than I remember planting. Can I dig them up in a couple of weeks and move them (without dividing them) when I have the flower beds ready?

The irises are gonna need some TLC, so I will leave them where they are until fall.

Thanks, Bob

[Vox Humana]

Sure. I don't see why not. I have moved daylilies in the heat of summer and they hardly noticed. I have a huge clump of Siberian Iris that needs to be divided. The last few years there have been only a dozen flowers. I keep hearing how difficult it is to dig and divide the things, so I keep putting it off. I also need to find a suitable place for the divisions. Fall is the best time to move iris, so I can continue to procrastinate with some justification.

[Frogleg]

You might just as well divide them anyhow, since it seems they're already multiplying. :-) You get a lot of bang for your buck (or for free) with daylilies. I'm working on some long- (years) neglected weeding, and some of my daylilies have 'traveled' across 2 cement driveway strips. Don't know where I'll find a place to put them, and I'm not going to try right now -- blooms on the way!

[simy1]

I am near Detroit, and the full sun daylilies have just started pushing out spikes. Those in part sun have not moved yet - so how do you know you will get no blooms? If you divide them now, you will lose this year's flowers. Patience, and this fall you should be able to divide them properly.

[Tom Randy]

I agree. Mine haven't shown spikes yet, a bit too early here in NY. I'd wait until at least the flowers are done blooming then do it. After re-planting keep them well watered until late fall/early winter.

Tom