How to Divide Daylilies

Dividing daylilies is necessary when caring for daylilies. This not a hard job at all. However, it is always helpful to have good knowledge about the process beforehand.

Why is dividing daylilies necessary?

Daylilies look the prettiest when they are grown as specimen clumps. However, as they grow, the spread of the plants increases and it becomes thicker. The roots also spread out and they meet the roots of the adjacent plant. Thus the nutrition in the soil is drawn fast. At a point, the soil dries out of nutrients and water. This decreases the productivity of the plants in terms of count and size of the flowers. This is when dividing is required.

When to divide?

This is the first question you would ask. The answer is simple. When you notice that the plants are producing less numbers of flowers and the flowers are smaller in size, then it is time. Daylilies can live for decades. Hence, the time of dividing daylilies comes with a gap of about five years. Some rare species may have a lesser time gap.

Now, at what time of the year should the daylilies be divided?  For dividing daylilies a season which is not too hot or too cold is needed. Fall is generally the best season. The nights are cool then and winter is yet to come.

The process of dividing daylilies

A full grown daylily forms fans. Fans have individual existence. Each fan contains its own root system. They may be joined to other roots, but they can be separated easily. This is precisely the thing one does while dividing daylilies.

First, dig out the entire clump. Then with a strong hose with a sprayer end wash the roots clean. That way you will see the roots clearly.

Then you wiggle the clump. Sometimes this is enough. The fans get separated into neat divisions.

However, this is not always the case. You may have to use tools to do that. You can use a sharp spade or even a big screwdriver! The goal is to make a clean separation. If the roots of a particular fan get detached or damaged in the process, you may have to throw that fan away.

Usually, the clump gets separated into nice pieces. However, some daylily foliage and roots are precarious. They get easily damaged. So, one should always be careful when  dividing daylilies.

Replanting the fans requires following the same process of planting the tenders. You already have experience of doing that properly, so you will not forget about the spacing of 18 to 24 inches between two adjacent plants.

Dividing daylilies will increase the production of flowers. It will restore their size making the garden happy again.