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Daylilies are one of the most common flowers grown anywhere in the country. All thanks to their unpretentiousness and beauty, however, and they need minimal maintenance. A special place is occupied by the preparation of the daylily in the fall for winter.
Features of preparing daylilies for winter
The preparatory process is a set of measures that allows the rhizome perennial to successfully endure cold and frosty conditions. This brings it to the subsequent flowering.
There are several stages of preparation:
- late autumn watering;
- feeding and transplanting;
- pruning;
- shelter or mulching.
All this is simple, but there are nuances that every gardener should know about.
Southern varieties need careful preparation for winter.
In order for daylilies to successfully endure the winter period, they must be properly prepared. To do this, you need to know which varieties grow on the site, the indicators of their winter hardiness and the timing of flowering. After all, each specific species is mulched in different ways. It is enough to cover some perennials with a non-woven material so that they do not freeze, others need a high layer of mulch.
When to start preparing daylilies for winter
Regardless of the specifics of the variety, in each region of Russia, daylilies are prepared for winter at a certain time. So the plants tolerate cold better and bloom profusely.
Daylilies are frost-resistant perennials, so in the south of the country they do not need additional shelter and special preparation. It is enough to cut off the leaves. This must be done before the cold weather, so that a new leaf cover does not have time to grow.
In the middle lane and the Moscow region, the preparation of daylilies for winter begins in mid-October and continues until November. You can determine a more accurate date by weather conditions. When the temperature drops below 0 ° C, it's time to get to work.
In Siberia, daylilies are recommended to be dug, but if this is not possible, then preparations for winter begin when the average daily temperature drops below 3 ° C. However, it should be borne in mind that strong and prolonged frosts can destroy even the most winter-hardy perennial varieties.
In the Urals, winter is long, so it is better to prepare daylilies in early October. Perennials need a good multi-layer shelter.
There is one more rule that can be guided by when preparing daylilies for winter. All procedures must be completed a week before the expected frost, regardless of the variety and type of perennial.
How to prepare daylilies for winter
Autumn care and preparation of the daylily for winter in the country is a simple matter, even a novice gardener can handle it. There are many tips and activities out there, but with experience, everyone comes up with their own plan of action.
Watering
In the summer, daylilies need regular watering. The soil is moistened 1-2 times with an interval of seven days. In the fall, irrigation is usually not carried out, especially in regions with prolonged and torrential rains. There will be enough moisture for the plant. However, if the weather is dry, then additionally the bushes need to be watered. It is important to remember that the water must saturate the entire earthen lump, since the roots of the perennial go deeper.
Top dressing
Abundant flowering greatly depletes a perennial, so preparation for winter includes feeding. Before the cold weather, the rhizomes should receive maximum nutrition in order to withstand the coming frosts well.
The last top dressing is usually applied in the second decade of September. You can use both mineral fertilizers and organic matter. Preference should be given to:
- phosphorus-potassium mixtures;
- humus;
- mature compost;
- ash.
After applying all the fertilizers, the plant is watered abundantly.
Mineral phosphorus complexes are best applied dry directly under the bushes. The soil is preliminarily loosened, after which the granules are scattered and mixed with the ground. Such feeds prepare the rhizomes for winter, help the transplanted plants to better adapt in a new place.
For feeding daylilies, superphosphate or phosphate rock is often used.
It is better to add organic matter in dry form, but you can also use solutions. To do this, grooves should be made around the plant, it is good to spill them with fertilizers, and then fall asleep. In preparation for winter, organic matter is necessary for the daylily, as it increases its resistance to diseases.
Pruning
Daylilies of all varieties must be pruned for the winter, despite the growing region. This preparation is done in order to avoid fungal infections of the plant. The remaining foliage gradually begins to rot, which leads to the development of pathogenic microflora. A perennial without pruning tolerates winter worse, often gets sick and may even die. In addition, pests and other microorganisms gather for wintering under the remains of foliage.
The peduncles are cut off immediately after flowering, without waiting for them to dry out. This stimulates the emergence of new buds. In late varieties of daylily, the very last flower stalks are cut along with the foliage somewhere in early October-November.
Perennial leaves are cut off only after they are completely dry. The process of photosynthesis is still taking place in living tissues, and all useful substances go down to the rhizome, which is very important for the plant. As a rule, in preparation for winter, daylilies are pruned shortly before frost or in their first days. All plant residues are carefully removed from the flower bed and burned, especially if the plant is sick.
How to cover a daylily for the winter
Not all varieties of daylilies require careful preparation for winter and shelter. However, in the Leningrad region, the Urals and Siberia, it is better to pay special attention to this. If the winter in the region has little snow, and the temperature drops below -20 ° C, then additional shelter is necessary.
Those varieties that are most frost-resistant are prepared last. This can be done after the air temperature drops below 0 ° C. More thermophilic varieties are mulched even before the onset of frost.
You can cover daylilies for the winter with various materials at hand. Good to use:
- peat;
- dry foliage;
- sawdust;
- spruce branches;
- straw;
- humus.
The varieties bred in South America need a nonwoven cover.
All transplanted plants also need a reliable shelter, since they have not yet had time to adapt to a new place. To protect the rhizomes from the cold gusty wind, they are pre-mulched with a thick layer of humus. Height - about 10 cm. In regions with little snowy winters, an additional frame shelter is installed, lutrasil or spunbond is pulled. If there is enough snow, then it is thrown onto the bushes and tamped along the edges. The procedure is repeated throughout the winter so that the height of the snow cover is at the same level. Additionally, mulched bushes can be covered with a wooden box.
In the spring, when the temperature rises above 0 ° C and lasts for several days, any shelter is removed. If this is not done, the daylily may vanish. This is especially dangerous in regions where thaws often occur in winter.All last year's mulch must be burned, since pests can be under it. If all procedures were done correctly, then the plant grows quickly.
Experienced gardening tips
Young daylilies need mandatory additional shelter for the winter, but adult plants tolerate cold snaps well under snow cover. They do not need special preparation and insulation, just cut it off.
In the Urals and Siberia, it is better to dig up and store rhizomes of valuable varieties of daylily in the basement, on a glazed loggia or balcony. They are planted in a permanent place with the arrival of spring.
Preparing for winter involves pruning the leaves of the daylily. Here you need to follow a simple rule so as not to provoke the growth of young foliage. All peduncles and stems are cut so that small stumps remain; you cannot cut at the root. For work, use a sharp tool, cut the leaves with a fan.
Pruning young plants and replanted plants early results in leaf growth. This is unacceptable, since the rhizomes weaken and lose some of the nutrients before winter. Therefore, in the warm autumn, you can postpone the preparation.
For mulching perennials, fresh manure is not used, it contains fungi that provoke rot of the root collar.
Before covering daylilies for the winter, be sure to check the weather forecast. If warming is expected, then the bushes may dry out, you will have to wait with mulching.
Materials for mulching are prepared in advance, dried well so that the cold will not be caught by surprise.
All fertilizers are applied strictly according to the instructions so as not to damage the rhizomes. Nitrogen fertilizing is not used in the autumn, as they provoke the growth of dormant buds. If green foliage grows, then the plants will leave unprepared for winter. This weakens them, makes them susceptible to diseases and pests.
Conclusion
Preparing a daylily in the fall for winter is an important procedure that should not be neglected. The climate of Russia is so unstable that in different regions the approach to perennials will be different. However, proper full-fledged care ensures lush and long flowering, strengthens the immunity of the daylily.
