Can I divide daylilies today and still have blooms this year?

10 years ago

I have several clumps of unknown varieties of daylilies. In reading about dividing, I see that I should have done it last Fall.

If I were to divide the clumps today (mid-April) would I still have some blooms this year or is it better that I wait until the end of Summer.

A little history. The plants have been in my yard @3 years after I'd purchased them from a closed and overgrown former daylily business. No labels, the pots were stuffed full of roots. (Craigslist posting.)

Thank you for any help or advice. I look forward to learning more about daylilies by reading this forum.

Julia in Woodinville, WA

Comments (8)

FarawayFarmer
10 years ago
Dividing them now, and getting bloom later depends mostly on the length of your growing season, and how early in your season you accomplish it.

In any case, it will certainly affect the quality of the bloom.

For example, here in central Florida, we've purchased plants (bare root) in April, and seen them have some bloom by the end of summer, but the quality was definitely not up to par.
Julia WV (6b)
10 years ago
It depends on how you are dividing. Are you dividing them down to 2 fans or 4 fans or what size? I've purchased in the spring which were just bareroot double fans and had them bloom the same year but not to their full potential.

I will be dividing some plants this spring and I'm not concerned about how many blooms I get from them this year. I figure it is best to get it done before something else comes up in the fall and I can't get it done again.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Julia
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juliamay
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you, Farmer & Julia. I think I just need to do it. I have learned that I have way more "steam" for gardening in the Spring than the Fall. (It gets rainy and I go inside til Spring.)

If they don't bloom this year but do great next year, I'll be happy whenever they do.

Thanks again.

Julia (also)
shive
10 years ago
Most of the ones I divide in April do bloom in June. Just my two cents.

Debra
nat4b
10 years ago
I'd expirement and divide half
maximus7116
10 years ago
I'm glad you asked. I think I'm going to wait until Fall for the ones I really like and divide some this Spring that aren't my favorites. Come August I go into hibernation, too.

Chris
Maryl (Okla. Zone 7a)
10 years ago
Golly I hope they bloom as this is the time I do (and am currently doing) most of my dividing. Usually there has been no problem if I can get them done before May 1st. With all the cold weather we've been having though, I'm behind schedule. Next week they are calling for another freeze to hit us. sheesh!........... Of course alot of it depends on how hard you divide them too. Just taking out a small section shouldn't make the mother plants stutter too much......Maryl
FarawayFarmer
10 years ago
The last post gave me pause, and I realized that perhaps we need to define our terms.

When I think of "dividing" daylilies, I'm referring to digging up the entire clump, separating the fans, and replanting.

Others may define it as pushing a shovel into a clump and separating part of it, leaving the rest intact.

The results will be hugely different in either case.

John