Like any flowering perennial, a sunny location is best for the daylily, with half day of sun desirable. A sandy loam is their best soil, but the tuberous roots will break up the clay soil so common to area gardens. Daylilies should be planted one inch below the top of the crown, with no more than an inch of soil over the crown. Thought should be given to keep the plants from "wet feet"; raising the beds may be necessary in poorly-drained areas. Some growers mulch their daylily beds to retain moisture and/or control weeds. Charlie does not mulch his beds, which are thick with daylily clumps and access paths. Absence of mulch prevents a hiding place for slugs. Maintenance during the bloom season includes regular watering and deadheading spent blooms.

In the field... One bonus of this perennial is that it requires little "fuss". The scapes grow past most of any slug damage. Fertilization can be an application of 5-10-5 at Memorial Day. Thrips can be a daylily pest, but are not a major Upstate problem. There are few, if any, reasons to spray daylilies.
Daylilies allow an easy means of propagation by division. Although division can be done in early Spring, when 3 - 6 inches of foliage is present, the ideal time for division is early Fall after blooms end. Dividing and replanting clumps at that time allows four weeks for roots to re-establish before the ground cools. The following season's results depend on size and quality of the transplanted division. There is no guarantee of bloom the season following a Spring or Fall transplant.

It is in the division of his collection that Charlie Zettek has become known to area daylily lovers. Charlie has "open houses" several times each Summer for the past four years. Interested parties can visit his garden and see what's in bloom that week. Then one can choose a variety, to be divided in the Fall. The Summer dates for the open houses are listed in the events calendar on this web site, and in the Upstate Gardeners' Journal. Area gardeners can visit to view varieties which bloom during the weeks of interest. Charlie has also located requested varieties that he does not grow. He is one of several excellent sources of daylilies in the Greater Rochester area.

Daylilies can also be purchased through catalogs or via the Internet. As with any plant material by catalog, there are advantages and disadvantages. Charlie points out that catalogs do not always offer the lowest cost. Some of the areas of concern he mentions are:

The buyer must also take care to not buy a catalog variety not hardy in their growing zone.

An advantage of divisions purchased from an area garden is confidence in their hardiness. Charlie mentions that no one supplier will carry all varieties. Growers may specialize in varieties from a certain lineage, or with a certain flower type.

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