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Daylilies abound in gardens across America. Is it because they are so easy to grow and inexpensive, hardy, or pretty and dependable? Maybe its because daylilies (Hemerocallis) lend themselves so well to sharing. Even the most inexperienced of gardeners can successfully divide daylilies at any time during the growing season. Here's a pictorial tutorial about dividing and sharing daylilies.
Daylilies are popular for planting and sharing by both novice and experienced gardeners. If you bought a daylily a few years ago, it's probably now big enough to divide. With a few minutes in the garden, you can have a like-new plant to give to a special friend or exchange for a different garden specimen. Let me explain daylily dividing, a near "no-brainer" of a gardening task.
Daylily dividing goes way back
The oldest, most passed-along daylily in North America may be the wild species called orange daylily and technically known as Hemerocallis fulva. Orange daylily is so shareable, it made it way from its origin in Asia, into Europe and finally to America many generations ago. This tall, vigorous lily is seen in gardens new and old across the United States. (Some call them tiger lilies but I reserve that name for Lilium lancifolium, an entirely different plant.) I've heard fulvas called outhouse lilies; they made an easy floral screen for that strictly functional structure all houses used to have. The persistence of orange daylilies around abandoned homesites is a testimony to the hardiness of Hemerocallis.
The improved daylilies that you find for sale commercially are listed in Plantfiles under the genus name Hemerocallis, with the dozens of cultivars then shown. With so many colors and forms available, who could get tired of them?Chances are you can always find something new to share.
"Bring something to plant"
I was inspired for this article by a recent last-minute invitation to spend a night at a friend's beach house.The final confirming email was brief- "Follow road to the end, blue siding, bring something to plant" Wow! I was thrilled that someone wanted a piece of my garden, but what to take? After contemplating my choices, I decided on a daylily. I knew this happy-go-lucky plant would survive being yanked up by its hair and dumped in a bucket, hastily packed in a van for a three hour drive, and left for a day or two still bucketized before final planting. Technically, I took two; some faithfully reblooming Stella D'Oros and a few pieces of the lily pictured above, which I hoped would be a novelty for my recipient. The daylilies survived just fine, as I knew they would. I'd like to show you how easily you can share your own daylilies.
Here's a how-to for digging up and dividing daylilies:
The plant will be happiest, and the digger too, if the soil is moist before digging. If you have time, water the prospective dividee the day before you work.
Here's a big old clump of daylilies in my garden. I really need to divide this bunch. There are about two dozen fans (groups of leaves arising from one point) here. When they are in such a tight clump, the stems are all competing with one another for resources.
Stick a fork or shovel in the ground about six or eight inches away from the base of the plant and push the tool down to the depth of the tines or blade if possible.
Pry up. Watch and see that the whole plant is moving as you lift. If only the dirt is moving, and the leaves seem to stay still, you're not getting under the root mass. you may even be cutting a lot of roots. A hefty clump like this may require that you loosen it on several sides before lifting.
Daylily roots form a thick mat. These sturdy roots with enlarged portions help the plant survive the trauma of moving. You could offer the plant as is, if it's made up of no more than five or six "fans" (groups of leaves).Just plop it in a bucket or old nursery pot.
Here's my big clump needing to be taken apart into four large sections, or more smaller ones. Those thick, tough roots really cling to each other. Two garden forks can be used to pry the clump apart. Insert the tools close together. The tines will slip between the roots and not cause major damage. Push the handles apart. The leverage you get with the handles makes this very easy. One plant has become two.
Some smaller or younger clumps might be loose enough for you to pull divisions off by hand. Try to get a grip where leaves meet roots, and gently wiggle and pull. If you feel some give, it should yield to careful persistent tugging.
Lacking two forks, try one fork and your hands. Or cut the mass with a shovel as I did here. Look for an opening to reduce the amount of cutting damage, place a shovel edge against the root mass, and stomp down. Uh-oh. As luck would have it, I sliced right through one fan at its base. That's the large white root, right in the middle of the root ball. I better discard that badly damaged part. I have plenty of healthy fans left anyway.
Shown on the right- one large three-fan division, and two single fans, the smallest portions you can make from a daylily.
Have bucket (or bag), will travel
Daylilies are not wimpy. You can put your clump or divisions into a bucket, add a little loose soil over the roots, and water just so its all moist. Another option is to wrap the roots with newspaper and wet that, and put the root ball into a plastic bag. The goal is to keep the roots damp but let the leaves have air. In bag or bucket, these plants are good for a trip in the car, several hours on the neighbor's porch, or a day or two waiting in the break room at work for a new home.
What if you're the recipient of these delightful gifts, or you want to keep a portion for yourself? While I have the tools out, let me show you how easy it is to plant the divisions.
Planting daylily divisions is easy, too
The dividing and transporting of these flowers will probably have knocked a lot of the dirt off, leaving them with mostly bare roots. Make a hole about a foot across and six inches deep. Then mound up a few inches of dirt in the middle of the hole. Place the plants, with roots spread out. (Here I have put two of my divisons, totaling four nice fans, on the mound, and spread out the roots.) Cover the roots and adjust the plants if needed so that the green parts are all above ground level. Press the soil on and between the roots and flood with water. When the water has soaked in add a bit more dirt, if needed to level the area, and mulch. These four fans will likely make four flower stems and add several new fans next summer.
Sometimes I share plants just so I can trade for other greenery or flowers. More often though, I share plants as an act of friendship. We fellow gardeners share small parts of ourselves to grow in someone else's garden. All of my daylilies except one have come from Dave's Garden friends generosity. I hope my instructions have inspired you to divide your own daylilies. Maybe someday you'll share them with me!
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Many thanks to DGers rubyw (and hubby) and Gitagal, for sharing your daylilies with me!
References
Bradley, Fern Marshal, and Ellis, Barbara W., editors. Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. Rodale Press, Emmaus, 1997.
All pictures used were taken by the author.
About Sally G. Miller
I grew up playing in the Maryland woods, and would still do it often if life allowed! Being outside in a garden or natural area gives endless opportunity for learning and wonder. Naturally (pun intended,) my garden style leans towards the casual, with lots of perennials and bulbs, some native plants, and with small fruits and vegetables thrown in. I want to always see something new when I go in the yard, and always like to try new plants. I thank my parents for passing along their love of gardening and nature, and my husband and kids for allowing me to pursue and share my interests.
Posted by ACWinOH (from Sandusky, OH) on October 28, 2008 at 1:15 PM:
I have 46 named daylilies and a few unknowns and recently divided a bunch of them to share with my girls. I sent one a 20# box of mostly daisy type plants and the other daughter got 23# of mostly daylilies which she loves. Actually I gave some to both girls that I was kind of tired of or disappointed with - I'm very picky about colors in my collection! Plus shared with neighbors and put a bunch of bags on the curb with daisyish, daylilies and hosta gallonish divisions with a sign that said take ONE, limit two! Our lot is only 40' wide and appx 54' long of gardening spaces so I have to be ruthless about what I can keep. My poor dogs lose more grass every year.
I visited a grower this summer and bought a bunch of stuff from her and noticed dead looking clumps everywhere so I asked about them and she said she was going to quit selling those varieties and said yes when I asked if I could have them. Some she could remember what they were and others will be a surprise next year. I plopped them in the ground and all but one started growing which was amazing considering how dead they looked!! Nine surprises next year!! I seek out trash at nurseries too.
My question is (and I did ask another a moment ago) is how does one divide heuchera? Any tips? Thanks! - Carol
PS I'm sorry I got so long winded. I need to find some money and join so I can get it out of my system!
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on October 28, 2008 at 10:25 PM:
Hi Carol--Nothing about gardening could be too long winded for me!
Wow- all those freebies, your neighbors must LOVE you! I am totally with you on taking someone else's rejects to see if they'll recover, and to have surprises to look forward to.
I read one article about heuchera dividing just now, to double check for myself. You should be able to dig it up and cut it apart like other perennials. I think in this case you'll have distinct 'nubbies' where the leaves come from, so you'll try to be gentle with those and pull the clump apart or cut, to get just a few nubbies per division.
If you have any worry about them freezing and heaving up over winter, it may be best to wait till early spring.
Hope you can sign up- there may still be a short trial version for cheap price. If so, there are some really nice people on Mid Atlantic Regional forum to chat with!
Thanks for reading and chatting !
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Subject: GREAT INSTRUCTIONS
Posted by cleanspring (from Denison, TX) on September 24, 2008 at 7:23 AM:
I planted over 200 daylilies in my new garden, and I have yet to see the first bloom (same for iris). I am so looking forward to having to divide them, seeing as they are just little green fountains now.
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on September 24, 2008 at 9:02 AM:
That will be exciting! I had some fairly little ones this year that were able to bloom, just tiny sprigs last year. I'm proud that I met your approval, seeing as how you've done 200 of them.
Thanks for reading!
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Subject: Too Late to Plant
Posted by GreenGoddess3 (from Alexandria, VA) on September 10, 2008 at 10:52 PM:
Thank you for your article. The pictures are great. I am going to share the info with my fellow garden club friends.
The question I have is that I purchased some daylily fans at a daylily society sale. They are in my garage in a plastic bag. All the foliage is brown, but the tubers still look good. Are they still viable to plant?
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on September 10, 2008 at 10:58 PM:
Thanks for reading and asking! I bet they are still fine. Those tubers are reserves of energy waiting to sprout. The only thing that would concern me would be if they were mushy or slimy- rotten looking in other words. If they're not too wet, I guess they would sit in the bag awhile OK. If they are pretty dry, maybe they would like to be soaked a couple of hours in water, weak fertilizer or compost tea before planting. Good luck! From the daylily society I bet they'll be very pretty.
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Subject: Dividing Daylilies
Posted by Old_Farmer (from Rock Cave, WV) on August 28, 2008 at 7:52 PM:
An easier way to divide daylilies is to just drop the clump repeatedly on a concrete block or rock a few times and then they will readily separate without breaking the roots.
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on August 28, 2008 at 10:53 PM:
I believe you. Tough plants. Thanks for posting!
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Subject: lions, tigers and bears...
Posted by grannymari (from Cumming, GA) on August 25, 2008 at 8:31 PM:
Hi Sally,
Love the daylilly replanting article. Have begun to relocate several "tigers" this week. Your article was just what I needed! I have plenty of dandy "lions," but no bears yet. HA!
Thank you
Granny Mari
Georgia
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on August 26, 2008 at 9:05 AM:
Thanks for the compliment, Granny Mari. Its nice to think I've helped a fellow gardener in her time of need. I'm gonna have to end you some seed for Teddy Bear double sunflowers next spring.
Have a lovely day!
Sally
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Subject: Love My Daylilies!
Posted by Jana37 (from Baton Rouge, LA) on August 25, 2008 at 1:56 PM:
Some years ago I "saved" my daylilies from the trash heap as my neighbor was re doing her garden and was going to throw them away! I have thined them out many times over the years and they always do better after this procedure. Love Dave's Garden website!!
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on August 25, 2008 at 3:12 PM:
Jana- you too can testify to how tough these daylilies are. Glad you're liking Dave's Garden. Its a great place.! Thanks for reading.
Sally
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Subject: Just what I Needed to Know
Posted by maggie2nh (from Rochester, NH) on August 25, 2008 at 11:41 AM:
Thank you for this very well written article. Great pictures and info. I have several very large clumps that have needed to be divided and now I'm sure how to do itMaggie
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on August 25, 2008 at 1:15 PM:
Hi Maggie,
You're very welcome. I'm sure your daylilies will do fine and bloom even better next year! You may be surprised at how much is there to divide. They'll fill up a much bigger area if you want more garden.
Thanks for reading and responding!
Sally
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Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on August 25, 2008 at 9:50 PM:
Oh, yes, Sally, this IS just what I needed to know and I'll "tag" it immediately! Thank you,
Carrie
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Subject: beautiful daylilies
Posted by themir (from La Quinta, CA) on August 25, 2008 at 10:14 AM:
Sally, really appreciated your article. I have many daylilies growing in Dale's Garden. They are my favorites, the flowers are so beautiful and proud. One of my biggest daylilies just seemed to collapse and die this summer. I'm not sure after pulling out the dead disintegrating leaves if there are some new shoots coming up. I can only hope----it was my oldest and a very pretty yellow. There are more pictures of daylilies and other flowers in the memorial garden i planted in honor of my sister. [HYPERLINK@www.mysisterdalesgarden.com]
thanks for your article
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on August 25, 2008 at 10:21 AM:
Thanks themir. I thought it would be useful to a lot of readers.
That's a pretty shade of yellow there. I have one similar in color. I hope that other recovers. With the roots they have I think they usually can give it another try.
Sally
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Subject: Good Job!
Posted by naturesacre (from Washington, IA) on August 25, 2008 at 10:05 AM:
Sally, thank you so much for a very well-written article. Very easy to understand and the photos are such an added benefit. I sense a new passion for daylilies coming on! =) And "aulani", thank you so much for the link to your friend's slideshow. Very enjoyable!
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on August 25, 2008 at 10:23 AM:
naturesacre- you're quite welcome.
I'm glad you enjoyed it and may find it helpful.
Happy digging!
Sally
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Subject: Loved the article
Posted by aulani61 (from Emporia, KS) on August 25, 2008 at 8:33 AM:
I enjoyed the primer on dividing daylillies, something we all need to bone up on. I have a fairly large collection in my yard that I love for their faithful blooming every year with not too much care. Hardy girls. Here is a link to my friend's daylilly farm that was featured in our newspaper a few years ago. You'll enjoy the slide show.
Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on August 25, 2008 at 10:17 AM:
Thank you, aulani~~
That was a lovely slide show; I pictured rows of daylilies but there is a beautiful huge garden with other plants besides, and sculptures...gorgeous!
Thanks for sharing that with us
Posted by gardengirl86 (from Middleboro, MA) on August 25, 2008 at 7:53 AM:
Hi Sally,
That was a great article!! I have many daylilies and have just started a new garden. I have divided them in the past, but that was long ago, and your refresher course, for me, will be very helpful. I have a close friend I will be sure to share with.
In my area near Cape Cod, there is always road work going on. My first lilies were rescued from the side of the road where workers were doing some widening. I always carry a shovel in my trunk for such emergencies. Last month my husband and I rescued a pink silk tree. Have shovel, will travel.
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on August 25, 2008 at 10:11 AM:
Hi gardengirl--Glad to be of service.
I agree, plant roadside rescue IS an emergency! Thanks for reading and sharing with us
Sally
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Subject: New homeowners' daylilies
Posted by MaryAS (from Johnson City, TN) on August 25, 2008 at 7:29 AM:
I forwarded this to someone who bought a yard with lots of daylilies in need ot dividing. I also told her my strategy for getting it done easily and with fun - invite friends to come dig, re-plant part and take some. This, combined with lunch, is a great way to nourish friendships and get some work done. Very efficient. I want to be invited to, and that's a way of reminding all those folks that I'm the agent who got her that lovely home and garden.
I always have a plentiful supply of plumbago, creeping jenny, ajuga, periwinkle and coneflowers, etc., to share with new homeowners and new and old friends.
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on August 25, 2008 at 10:09 AM:
Hi MaryAS- Thats a great idea! Would add a little extra to a housewarming . I see you agree with me and many others- sharing plants is special.
Beautiful wide bed you have there.
Thanks for sharing
Sally
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Subject: Daylilies
Posted by michael1757 (from Campbell, OH) on August 25, 2008 at 6:54 AM:
Hi sally! I wish I had read this sooner.I just removed a lot of daylilies,tiger's if you will.The area in which they were in was blocking the path I use around my house & since I had no one to give them to,I had to throw them away.What I did was dig up & re-plant a hosta,which I'll say was a lot easier than I thought.I now have walking room,a cleaner path,as well as a new bush.They do have little bulb's on the root's,the lilies,which were a task in getting them all.Hundred's of them it seemed.All gone now.Sorry,Michael
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on August 25, 2008 at 10:06 AM:
Nice of you to think of me! I'll just have to get along without those hundreds.
Glad the hosta went well. It would divide in pretty similar fashion to the daylilies, with more cutting or root mass and less just pulling off.
And next spring you might find you didn't get all hundred forty seven dozen root pieces of the daylilies. Just bear that in mind if you get 'grass' sprouting up there.
Thanks for reading and chatting. Happy gardening
Sally
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Subject: Very Helpful
Posted by stormyla (from Norristown, PA) on August 24, 2008 at 10:28 AM:
Sally, This is a great step by step demonstration. I'm sure lots of folks will find it very helpful. You are the best! Not to mention funniest!!!!
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on August 24, 2008 at 12:26 PM:
Thank you stormyla! My head is swelling ((( )))
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Subject: Perfect for a Beach house
Posted by HollyAnnS (from Dover, PA) on August 24, 2008 at 9:24 AM:
Sallyg, Very nice article, good step by step. And this is just the right time to get out there and divide those lilies. Loved the "Outhouse Lily" reference, I have a friend that uses that name.. When she was a young girl her Grandmother had an outhouse and that was what was planted around it. LOL
Those bright colored Daylilies are perfect for a beach house garden.
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on August 24, 2008 at 12:24 PM:
Thanks HollyAnn!!
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Subject: Lucky friends
Posted by Hemophobic (from Kannapolis, NC) on August 24, 2008 at 8:54 AM:
Sally: you epitomize everything good about gardens and gardeners and how lucky your friends are to have you! Good advice on the dividing and planting. Thank you for sharing it with all of us DGers.
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on August 24, 2008 at 12:23 PM:
Thanks so much for your oh-so-nice response!
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Subject: Sharing is a "good thing"!
Posted by pirl (from Southold, NY) on August 24, 2008 at 8:37 AM:
My method of dividing is simply to get a long, sturdy, sharp knife from a thrift store (buy a few) and slice off a section or cut out a section as you'd cut a piece of pie if the daylily is large enough. Fill the vacancy with compost and give it a gallon of water to aid in making new fans.
Then ship them off to give others a smile and something to do with their day! I just shipped off more than 90 pounds of daylilies on Thursday to DG friends.
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Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on August 24, 2008 at 10:34 AM:
Pirl says something to do with their day. She actually means something to do with their week. Thank you, Pirl.
A very nice article, and in spite of having a yard full of daylilies, I read every word.
Thank you for writing it for us.
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Posted by slcdms (from Ripley, MS) on August 24, 2008 at 10:45 AM:
Nice article, but you better watch out, you might be getting a whole lot of daylilies after showing folks how to share.
Sandra
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on August 24, 2008 at 12:21 PM:
Thanks pirl--you know what you're doing! I knew I had read the cut out and compost in method sometime along the DG way..
Thanks all for your nice comments!
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Posted by nanny_56 (from Putnam County, IN) on August 24, 2008 at 2:45 PM:
A couple Dgers have been kind of enough to share with me...I will soon have a whooping 20 named DL's in my garden! I really appreciated it so I had things to put here at new house. To look at most of my beds you would not guess all this was just planted last year!
So I will pass it forward this fall. I have already contacted a DGer who needs a little help getting started and will be sending some DL's her way soon! :)
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Posted by TreeSteward (from Tilton, NH) on August 25, 2008 at 8:21 AM:
I have perfected the art of getting the greatest daylily collection in my area. Don't buy, admire. Visiting at the right time of the year helps. I usually have some empty plastic pots and a tarp in my SUV so I can be neat in transport. I recently visited a friend of mine and came away with four new daylilies and four hosta starts.
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on August 25, 2008 at 10:26 AM:
Treesteward- you are clever indeed!!! Found the weakness and are reaping the benefits! That's a stitch! Thanks for writing, and reading.
Sally
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Subject: A delightful article
Posted by CapeCodGardener (from Mid-Cape, MA) on August 24, 2008 at 8:25 AM:
Thank you, Sally, for your useful and very thorough article--and timely, too! I have a garden-full of three-year-old daylilies that are becoming crowded, and now I feel confident about dividing and moving them. And maybe leaving some on my neighbors' doorsteps ;-)
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on August 24, 2008 at 12:19 PM:
You're ever so welcome! I left the bag of my own, on my own deck since doing the deed, and except for a litttle yellowing they have been fine for a week now. Ditto the bucket in the garden.
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Posted by wind (from Mount Laurel, NJ) on August 24, 2008 at 2:10 PM:
Hi Sally :)
Enjoyed your article and liked your photos and layout too.
The improved daylilies that you find for sale commercially are listed in Plantfiles under the genus name 
)))
