I am in Illinois and I searched and found only one entry for overwintering potted daylilies and I AM NOT trenching in over 300 pots! I am reworking one of my beds and have over 300 pots of daylilies to replant and sell next spring. I was thinking of enclosing the area with straw bales, adding lots of de-con and moth balls for the mice and voles to eat and then adding oak leaves over the whole thing. I worry about the oak leaves because they have a tendency to mat when they get wet but those are the only ones I have. Do any of you experienced daylily growers have any advice for me? Should I try something else?
When should I stop potting up new ones? I still have many more to go but didn't know if they needed to establish themselves in the potting soil before freezing.
Thanks ahead of time for your input.
Regina
Overwintering newly divided daylilies
Last year I tipped a lot of potted ones (tried on an angle) covered with row cover and oak leaves that had been mowed to go into little pieces. The light weight row cover allowed me to pretty much just pull off the chopped leaves. I did loose several plants..most to crown rot (not tipped enough, I guess) There were also some that had the dirt on the top part wash to bottom and out..with some exposed roots..those pretty well made it.
The few that I had tipped in area that was by garage and under the overhang did well..but may have just been the variety...not enough to judge by.
With straw bales, should help with freeze thaw heave.
Good luck..I would not be up for the 300..still have @50 this season!
I have a few seedlings in pots that I may to try and over winter. I plan on tipping them and covering with mulch. I just didn't get enough of my 3 to 4 year old seedlings dug out this year to make room to plant my new seedlings. Time really got away from me this summer.
Last year I had a few that never got planted. They were in plastic bags...not pots, but the root ball was intact. I put them next to the house and covered with mulch. They all made it fine.
The straw bales will help.
I started a Clematis vine from seed and by August it was in a 6" pot. I was redoing a border and wasn't ready to plant it. Instead, I dug a hole and planted the potted plant. Placed a piece of cardboard at the bottom of the hole to keep worms and soil bugs from entering the drainage holes.
The following spring, it grew like it was not potted. Don't see why the same couldn't be done with all plants, including daylilies. Soil is a great insulator when the pot is planted.
All plants should be established before winter, potted or not. I suggest you stop potting now as it is getting late in the season.
Good luck
Blomma ~ She has over 300 pots...
I am in the middle of moving all of my daylilies from 2 beds as the deer have chomped them down to the ground, even with deer repellant.
I am having to make new beds as I go. Usually I plan these things in advance, so I sympathize.
I am dividing as I go, for the most part. Some, I just plant the clump. Gosh there are so many in those clumps. I do not recall ever planting them originally in large clumps.
You can use the straw instead of the oak leaves to cover the plants. Good luck.