In the early Fall, preparation for Winter begins as foliage is trimmed to 8 - l0 inch height. The removed foliage should be discarded, to avoid re-infection in the following season from any disease harbored in the foliage. The foliage remaining on the clump is left to die back as it may. Some growers mulch the beds for Winter; Zettek does no intentional mulching. Of course, if a grower has a need for Winter protection, adding mulch is preferred over planting the daylily deeper.

Some varieties are evergreen, or have varying hardiness. Catalog statements of hardiness zones should not be considered gospel. Three terms are used:

Seed heads When division and Winter preparation are complete, the efforts of many daylily lovers turn to propagation by seed. Careful pollination of blooms is done in the Summer, and resulting seed pods allowed to develop. The pod is picked when brown and about to open. The seeds within require stratification, and are kept dry. Zettek keeps seed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for six weeks. The seed is sown a half inch deep in seed-starting soil, encouraged with bottom heat from an electric mat.
For quick propagation, (vegetative) division is the rapid method - for plants started from seed will take two to three years to bloom. But it is in propagation by seed that new hybrids are created.
Charlie's efforts have been directed toward small rock garden hybrids, of twelve inch height and small flower size. Daylily hybridization is so popular that new varieties register four-word names, e.g. "Rocky Mountain Morning Sunshine", to remain unique !

Perhaps you wish for a source of help for your daylily dilemmas. Or, you may look for a good source for divisions. A daylily society will be your answer for both. Large societies such as the American Hemerocallis Society provide a newsletter, exhibitions with judging, and contacts with regional growers. AHS has regional chapters such as New York State Region 4, and within Region 4 is the Finger Lakes Daylily Society. The excellent newsletter of Region 4 is provided by Tom and Kathy Rood of Grace Gardens in Penn Yan. Regional groups also produce lists of varieties voted favorites in the area (link to such a list). Joining a regional group is an excellent way for a gardener to increase their daylily understanding and familiarity with available varieties. Zettek is an active society member and judge on the regional level.

Bennett varieties Some of the pioneering daylily efforts in Rochester live on. In the past, Richard Bennett had a popular garden on Long Pond Road. He sold area gardeners plants from the hundreds he had collected. As a well-known hybridizer, Bennett had forty three registered varieties, well-suited to Rochester conditions.
Charlie Zettek and other enthusiasts plan to create a Bennett Memorial Garden using only Bennett hybrids in a public setting. Efforts continue to find plants of the Bennett hybrids. Of the forty-three registered varieties, twenty eight have been acquired. If you have a Bennett variety, Zettek would be happy to hear from you !
Bennett varieties:
Seneca Moon & Doris Carey

If you are looking for a low maintenance, summer-flowering perennial, try daylilies. Area enthusiasts like Charlie Zettek are excellent sources of plant material and advice!

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