| Growing Daylilies from Seed |
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RINKLAND DAYLILIES
Specializing in Daylilies for the Northern Grower
Specializing in Daylilies for the Northern Grower
Starting Daylily seeds is quite simple regardless of your gardening
experience. There are as many different methods of starting Daylilies from
seed as there are growers. Don't be afraid to experiment and find what
works best for you.
Planting daylily seeds is a bit different than planting most other perennial
seeds.
When starting daylily seeds outside, there are a few precautions you can
take to insure good results. Select an area that is well drained and decide
how quickly you are willing to transplant your seedlings. If you are willing to
transplant them the next summer, you can plant them very close together,
the seedlings wil be easy to separate. After planting your seeds, you can lay
some chicken wire over the area to prevent animals from digging in your
seedling bed. A layer of shredded leaves or other mulch is also beneficial.
Make sure you use a garden marker to label your crosses.
Another method of starting seeds outside is "Pot in Pot. With this method
you can "plant" empty pots and later, when the time is right, you can slip
another pot of the same size, that is filled with potting mix and seeds inside
the "planted" pot. This method has some benefits, you can fill your inside
pot with potting mix and plant seeds in the location of your choice, and if
you already have snow on the ground, it's not a problem. Each individual
pot can contain seeds from only one cross, making it easy come
transplanting time to pop this pot out of the ground and separate and plant
the seedlings. One marker in the pot keeps the cross clearly marked.
I like to start my seeds under lights during the winter. Not only does this
give my seedlings a head start, but it gives me that gardening fix I need
during the long winter months. An easy set up is to use a chrome shelf that
you can purchase from a "big box" store, and hang regular shop lights from
the shelves. You do not need special lights in the fixtures.
Most people agree that the seeds need a cold period of at least 3 weeks in
order to germinate. If you have grown and harvested your own seed, this
can be accomplished by drying the seeds for at least 24 hours, and then
storing them in the refrigerator for a few weeks. If you have purchased
seed, the grower has probably had them in the refrigerator long enough,
and they should indicate that when you make a purchase.
As soon as I recieve or, harvest and dry my seeds, I put them into small
zip-loc bags with the cross clearly marked on it and then into a plastic
container in the fridge until I am ready to start them.
I usually begin planting seeds in January or February after the holiday rush.
There are many different mediums and containers that you can start your
seeds in. Many people use trays or plastic shoe boxes and start lots of
seeds in each one. I don't like to have to do a lot of transplanting, so I
prefer to start mine in individual pots or a product called "bio sponges"
available from Parks Seed. If you start a lot of seeds the sponges can be a
bit costly, but it makes the process very easy with no mess. You can leave
the seedlings in the sponges for months, provided you keep the trays filled
with water, and add some weak fertilizer occasionally.
What ever medium you use, pre-moisten your mix before planting the seeds.
This works much better than trying to water after you have planted your
seeds. Just fill a container/tub with the mix, and add enough water until it's
the consistency you want. It should hold together in a clump when you grab
a handful but not be wet. Fill up your pot and then add the seeds. The soil
line should now be about 1/2 to 1" below the rim. Place the seeds in the pot,
and cover the seed with more soil. There should be no more depth of soil
on top of the seed than the size of the seed. (Got to say, that I have
experimented with planting depth and don't think the seeds are that fussy.
I've planted some deeper and they do just fine. Maybe take a bit longer to
poke through is all.)
Loosely lay a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the pot. You don't need to
put this pot anywhere in particular until the plants start to appear, usually in
7 to 10 days. When you start to see green move them under your lights and
take the plastic off.
If you need to transplant your seedlings to individual pots you can do this
once they are a few inches tall, at this point use a Miracle Grow type potting
soil. I use the deepest drinking cup I can find and drill drainage holes in the
bottom. Put several cups together and then just use a electric hand drill to
make a few holes in them all at once.
I bottom water all my seedlings with a weak Chamomile tea. (1 tea bag per 1/2
to 1 gallon of water) I don't know why the tea works, but using it has almost
eliminated damping off and seems to minimize fungus knats. I have some
very sturdy trays that the pots sit in, and I simply keep them filled with my tea
solution. They can go dry for a while, but most of the time I just keep the
seedlings sitting in "tea".
If you use well water and a water softener, I suggest getting your water from
a point before it goes through the softener. Since I started doing that my
seedlings are much healthier.
When Spring arrives, seedlings started in pots or flats must be hardened off
gradually to full sun. Place the seedling in full sun for only 2 hours the first
day, and gradually increase the amount of time in full sun. Within a week
they will be adjusted enough to survive in the garden.
Keep good records, it takes some time, but you'll be glad you have them.
You can look back and see what crosses gave you what results. If what you
want is tall seedlings, you won't waste time repeating crosses that only gave
you 18" offspring.
Good Luck, and most of all have fun!
experience. There are as many different methods of starting Daylilies from
seed as there are growers. Don't be afraid to experiment and find what
works best for you.
Planting daylily seeds is a bit different than planting most other perennial
seeds.
When starting daylily seeds outside, there are a few precautions you can
take to insure good results. Select an area that is well drained and decide
how quickly you are willing to transplant your seedlings. If you are willing to
transplant them the next summer, you can plant them very close together,
the seedlings wil be easy to separate. After planting your seeds, you can lay
some chicken wire over the area to prevent animals from digging in your
seedling bed. A layer of shredded leaves or other mulch is also beneficial.
Make sure you use a garden marker to label your crosses.
Another method of starting seeds outside is "Pot in Pot. With this method
you can "plant" empty pots and later, when the time is right, you can slip
another pot of the same size, that is filled with potting mix and seeds inside
the "planted" pot. This method has some benefits, you can fill your inside
pot with potting mix and plant seeds in the location of your choice, and if
you already have snow on the ground, it's not a problem. Each individual
pot can contain seeds from only one cross, making it easy come
transplanting time to pop this pot out of the ground and separate and plant
the seedlings. One marker in the pot keeps the cross clearly marked.
I like to start my seeds under lights during the winter. Not only does this
give my seedlings a head start, but it gives me that gardening fix I need
during the long winter months. An easy set up is to use a chrome shelf that
you can purchase from a "big box" store, and hang regular shop lights from
the shelves. You do not need special lights in the fixtures.
Most people agree that the seeds need a cold period of at least 3 weeks in
order to germinate. If you have grown and harvested your own seed, this
can be accomplished by drying the seeds for at least 24 hours, and then
storing them in the refrigerator for a few weeks. If you have purchased
seed, the grower has probably had them in the refrigerator long enough,
and they should indicate that when you make a purchase.
As soon as I recieve or, harvest and dry my seeds, I put them into small
zip-loc bags with the cross clearly marked on it and then into a plastic
container in the fridge until I am ready to start them.
I usually begin planting seeds in January or February after the holiday rush.
There are many different mediums and containers that you can start your
seeds in. Many people use trays or plastic shoe boxes and start lots of
seeds in each one. I don't like to have to do a lot of transplanting, so I
prefer to start mine in individual pots or a product called "bio sponges"
available from Parks Seed. If you start a lot of seeds the sponges can be a
bit costly, but it makes the process very easy with no mess. You can leave
the seedlings in the sponges for months, provided you keep the trays filled
with water, and add some weak fertilizer occasionally.
What ever medium you use, pre-moisten your mix before planting the seeds.
This works much better than trying to water after you have planted your
seeds. Just fill a container/tub with the mix, and add enough water until it's
the consistency you want. It should hold together in a clump when you grab
a handful but not be wet. Fill up your pot and then add the seeds. The soil
line should now be about 1/2 to 1" below the rim. Place the seeds in the pot,
and cover the seed with more soil. There should be no more depth of soil
on top of the seed than the size of the seed. (Got to say, that I have
experimented with planting depth and don't think the seeds are that fussy.
I've planted some deeper and they do just fine. Maybe take a bit longer to
poke through is all.)
Loosely lay a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the pot. You don't need to
put this pot anywhere in particular until the plants start to appear, usually in
7 to 10 days. When you start to see green move them under your lights and
take the plastic off.
If you need to transplant your seedlings to individual pots you can do this
once they are a few inches tall, at this point use a Miracle Grow type potting
soil. I use the deepest drinking cup I can find and drill drainage holes in the
bottom. Put several cups together and then just use a electric hand drill to
make a few holes in them all at once.
I bottom water all my seedlings with a weak Chamomile tea. (1 tea bag per 1/2
to 1 gallon of water) I don't know why the tea works, but using it has almost
eliminated damping off and seems to minimize fungus knats. I have some
very sturdy trays that the pots sit in, and I simply keep them filled with my tea
solution. They can go dry for a while, but most of the time I just keep the
seedlings sitting in "tea".
If you use well water and a water softener, I suggest getting your water from
a point before it goes through the softener. Since I started doing that my
seedlings are much healthier.
When Spring arrives, seedlings started in pots or flats must be hardened off
gradually to full sun. Place the seedling in full sun for only 2 hours the first
day, and gradually increase the amount of time in full sun. Within a week
they will be adjusted enough to survive in the garden.
Keep good records, it takes some time, but you'll be glad you have them.
You can look back and see what crosses gave you what results. If what you
want is tall seedlings, you won't waste time repeating crosses that only gave
you 18" offspring.
Good Luck, and most of all have fun!
