In February, garden centers already receive planting material from Europe. There, spring begins earlier and plants can be planted in the garden. What should we do? The most reasonable thing to do is to give up early purchases and wait until our garden exhibitions are open and seedlings from local nurseries go on sale. But sellers of planting material know well the psychology of an amateur gardener. Love for plants is a “disease”, and we simply cannot refuse to buy another seedling, especially when we can hold it in our hands, especially when it is in such a colorful package! Sometimes we ourselves don’t notice how we buy plants and “come to our senses” only when we bring them home. It's winter outside. What to do with them before planting in April?

In the language of gardeners, storing planting material when purchased early is called “overexposure”. Different types of plants require different conditions.

Let's look at what is currently on sale and how to save it if you couldn't resist buying it.

VISUAL INSPECTION

Let's start with the fact that any planting material must be removed from the packaging and carefully inspected. In a store, through a bag and a layer of peat, it can be difficult to see damage and small areas of rot.

If they are found, then measures must be taken immediately: darkened roots and broken tubers should be cut back to healthy tissue. Burn small spots of rot with a strong solution of potassium permanganate or brilliant green, or put the entire plant in a fungicide solution. After this, decide what to do with the plant: store it in the refrigerator or plant it in a pot.

For storage, do not use the old bag in which you bought the plant!

TO EACH HIS OWN

So, what can you buy in February? BULB CROPS: gladioli, acidanthera, lilies, tigridia and others (photo 1). It's easiest with them. Most of them just need to be put in the refrigerator (after inspection). Check from time to time, as gladioli and lilies may begin to sprout and the shoots will be crooked.

If the bulbs begin to grow, you need to put them in a box so that the sprouts look up. At low temperatures, the growth process can be slowed down. However, this is not always possible. Most often, lilies wake up early and the sprout begins to grow uncontrollably. Then there is only one way out - plant it in a pot, and - on the windowsill!

TUBERS - dahlias, begonias, cannas. They can also be stored in the refrigerator, but be sure to isolate them from moisture. It is better to wrap it first in paper and then in a clean bag.

Of these plants, cannas are the most impatient. If it was warm in the store, then the growth process has already started and, as a rule, it is impossible to stop it. Cannes will have to be planted.

RHOZOMES OF PERENNIALS: these are irises, as well as herbaceous and tree-like peonies (photo 3, 4). Herbaceous peonies and irises can be kept in the refrigerator. It's good if you have moss in stock. Wrap the root in slightly damp moss and place it in a bag. Instead of moss (for peony), you can use a damp cloth or paper. It is better to moisten not with ordinary water, but with a solution of phytosporin (squeeze well!). It is better to store irises in a bag of peat. They don't need excess moisture.

Tree peonies wake up early. Already in the store, leaves are blooming at the ends of the branches (photo 3). Tree peonies need to be planted. The root can be large. It is convenient to plant in five-liter cut cans. They clearly show how moist the soil is and how roots develop in it.

Strong divisions of tree peonies can bloom. Tear off the bud or let it open, but then immediately cut it into a vase.

PERENNIAL DIVISIONS: astilbe, phlox, hosta, daylilies, eryngium and others. Here look at the thickness of the roots and the condition of the buds. Daylilies with thick, cord-like roots can be kept in the refrigerator (photo 2). But it is desirable that the buds are small and have not yet begun to grow. Only in this case can the plant be stored without planting it in a pot.

If sprouts appear, they will stretch out during storage without access to light. In addition, taking nutrition from the roots will completely weaken them. This means that cuttings with sprouts must be planted in the ground so that the roots receive nutrition from the ground.

Plants with thin roots, such as phlox, are best planted immediately (regardless of the size of the buds). If stored for a long time, they can dry out and become unviable.

SHRUBS: roses, spirea, forsythia, lilac, deutia, etc. It is better to choose those whose buds are dormant. They are easier to preserve until spring.

But you can’t put such plants in the refrigerator (they are too big). And they can only be stored at low temperatures close to zero. If the temperature on the loggia is more than four degrees Celsius, then it is not suitable for storage (without planting). The buds will definitely wake up and begin to draw juices from the seedling.

All shrubs need to be planted in the ground! This also applies to roses. Their roots are tightly wrapped in a bag (photo 6). Before planting, soak them in warm water. Trim the ends with sharp scissors. Plant so that the roots do not bend. Do not remove the wax layer from the branches.

Water the planted plant thoroughly with fungicide. You can use Vitaros, Fitolavin, Fitosporin.

Coconut substrate is suitable as a soil for planting roses, peonies and other plants. There is a lot of air, fewer pathogens, and the roots develop well (photo 5).

After planting, it is better to place all plants (roses, peonies, phlox) in a cool, bright place. The loggia is perfect. But you absolutely can’t put it on the floor! There's not enough light there. Raise the plants higher, at least on a stool.

Otherwise, the shoots will become very elongated and it will be very difficult for such a plant to emerge. In the spring it can burn in the sun, and in the first winter die from frost.

Water very sparingly. Periodically (every 10-14 days) add Fitosporin to the water. Spray the plants with the same solution during the day on the leaves and sprouts that emerged from the ground.

If the seedlings are in a room where the temperature is much higher, water as the soil dries. Also spray the shoots, otherwise spider mites may develop from the dry air.

By following all the above rules, you will preserve your plants until spring. But still, try to resist early purchase. It is justified only if you come across rare plants or new items.

Number of impressions: 14710

It has begun... It’s still February on the calendar, but the first plants have already begun to arrive in stores selling planting material. First, timidly and timidly, gladioli, dahlias, buttercups, lilies and begonias. But the closer spring comes, the wider the river of supplies. And now there are hostas, daylilies, geraniums, tradescantia, astilbe, roses and much, much more. If you don't buy it now, you might not buy it at all. Unfortunately, this is true. Some varieties come in limited quantities, some simply do not wait for us and quietly die from heat, humidity or some other reason.

So, we bought a plant. And the spine began to grow, but in the yard there was a deep minus. And planting in a pot will not improve the situation - the plant produces shoots, the first leaves... even buds - and dies.

And this is what happened - growth began due to the reserves accumulated in the tissues, but the roots did not “turn on” - the result was a “forcing effect”, much like the regrowth of shoots from cut roses in a vase.

Be careful when purchasing anemones, heucheras, heleniums, Siberian and Japanese irises, bathing flowers, poppies, monardas, hellebores, phlox, and echinaceas long before planting - keeping them alive is much more difficult.
For planting material of these plants, cold storage (at a temperature no higher than +5 °C) and the so-called “cold start” are especially important: planting in the ground at the earliest possible time, preferably under cover.

According to experience, it is generally better to buy phloxes and echinaceas in summer or autumn, with a closed root system (in pots). The same applies to lumbago - this plant does not tolerate transplantation well, and storage in the form of open roots is completely contraindicated for it.

You shouldn't buy anemones in spring at all. And if it’s so bad, a cold start is vital for them! Plant the plants in a container in a slightly damp substrate, and take them into the garden - warm the soil with boiling water, dig in the container and cover it with sawdust and a good amount of snow.

A cold start is required for delphinium and aconite.

What can you buy without fear?

Although the summer season is still far away, feel free to buy hosta rhizomes, daylilies, astilbe, bergenia, sedum, and lily bulbs. These plants will tolerate home care well. Even if you don't have room in the refrigerator or their leaves have already begun to unfurl, you can plant them in pots and place them on a bright, cool windowsill. True, many hostas in indoor conditions do not acquire the characteristic leaf color of the variety, so final conclusions about misgrading will have to be made only after the plant has acclimatized in the garden. Yes, and plants with regrown leaves will have to be planted in the ground late, after all frosts have ended, and, moreover, carefully shading them.

Bearded irises are also quite undemanding in storage. But their plots require drier conditions, and in damp conditions they can rot.

Waiting for spring. Planting material is most often stored in a refrigerator or basement at a low positive temperature.
The rhizomes are covered with slightly moistened peat, coconut fiber, sawdust, light soil, and even better - sphagnum moss and placed in loosely covered plastic bags or plastic containers. Plants with small, thin, quickly drying roots can be planted in pots with soil, but they are stored in the same conditions. A very good solution would be to take planting material of frost-resistant plants to the dacha and bury it in the snow. Choose a shady place in the garden where there is no standing water in the spring, and dig the snow down to the ground. Remove the rhizomes from the packaging, place them on the ground, cover with peat, soil or sawdust, and cover with snow on top. But this can only be done with completely “dormant” plants, with unopened buds. If the leaves begin to unfold, negative temperatures are contraindicated for them.
After the snow melts, plant perennials in the ground. It is useful to use film or other coverings.

Read more about storing some perennials:

Daylilies

root collar - carefully inspect for rot. If necessary, treat with antifungal drugs or root rot remedies.
Daylilies are well kept in the refrigerator at a temperature of +1 + 4. The roots must be placed in a slightly moist substrate, best stored wrapped in paper (newspaper) or a perforated plastic bag. There is no need to plant daylilies in pots at home if the sprout length is up to 10 cm (personal experience). But if the sprouts are longer, then the daylily can be planted in a pot and grown as a houseplant, since this unpretentious plant easily tolerates indoor conditions. The only difficulty is that you can plant a plant from a pot in the ground only after the threat of return frosts has passed, gradually accustoming it to sunlight. (For Ukraine - after May 25.) After planting in a permanent place, the plant should be shaded from direct sunlight.
Daylilies that have been stored in the refrigerator after purchase can be planted in open ground at the end of April (depending on the weather, focusing on the daylilies already in the garden, covering them from frost with a plastic bottle or lutrasil).

What you should pay attention to when inspecting: roots - trim the rotten ends, remove old, dry, rotten, damaged roots.
Root collar - carefully inspect for rot. If necessary, treat with antifungal drugs or remedies for root rot. They are stored well in the refrigerator at a temperature of +1 + 4. The roots must be placed in a slightly moist substrate, best stored wrapped in paper (newspaper) or a perforated plastic bag.
There is no need to plant hostas in pots at home if the sprout length is up to 5 cm (personal experience). Personal experience: they were sent to the pit when the ground was still frozen and boiling water was pouring in order to dig a hole. I poured coconut substrate at the bottom of the hole, laid the hostas, covered it with coconut substrate, then with earth. They held up well from the end of March until May.
It can be planted in open ground at the end of April (depending on the condition of the plant - the smaller the sprout, the earlier it can be planted; depending on the weather, focusing on the hostas already in the garden, covering it from frost with a plastic bottle, lutrasil).
They prefer neutral or slightly acidic soil. Depending on the size of the variety/species of hosta, the root collar is buried from 1.0 to 5.0 cm when planting.
If necessary, you can plant it in a pot at home, since hostas can easily tolerate the warm and dry air of a room. But we must keep in mind that such plants will have to be kept at home until the beginning of June, and only then planted in open ground, gradually hardening the plants.

What you should pay attention to when inspecting: roots - trim the rotten ends, remove old, dry, rotten, damaged roots.
Root collar - carefully inspect for rot. If necessary, treat with antifungal drugs or root rot remedies (Epin).
They do not tolerate overexposure in apartment conditions on a windowsill, since the plant at the first stage of development requires a lower temperature, lower at night and slightly higher during the day. Before planting in the ground, it is advisable to store the rhizomes in the refrigerator at a temperature of 0 to +3, wrapped in sphagnum moss and a perforated plastic bag.
If you still have to plant the plants in a pot, then a “cold start” is necessary. We plant it in a poor substrate - 2/3 sand, 1/3 soil, put it in the refrigerator. We monitor the appearance of leaves. They begin to grow - we take them out, put them in a cool place +10 +12 during the day, and put them in the refrigerator at night. Do not overwater! We plant it in open ground in May, making sure to shade the planted plants.

What you should pay attention to when inspecting: roots - trim the rotten ends, remove old, dry, rotten, damaged roots.
Root collar - carefully inspect for rot. If necessary, treat with antifungal drugs or root rot remedies.
They do not tolerate overexposure in apartment conditions on a windowsill, since the plant at the first stage of development requires a lower temperature, lower at night and slightly higher during the day. Before planting in the ground, it is advisable to store the rhizomes in the refrigerator at a temperature of 0 to +3, wrapped in sphagnum moss and a perforated plastic bag. If you still have to plant the plants in a pot, then a “cold start” is necessary. We plant it in a poor substrate - 2/3 sand, 1/3 soil, put it in the refrigerator. We monitor the appearance of leaves. They begin to grow - we take them out, put them in a cool place +10 +12 during the day, and put them in the refrigerator at night. Don't flood!
However, it is better to take it to the dacha as soon as possible and bury it (if the ground has not thawed yet, you can use purchased soil for this).

What you should pay attention to during inspection: remove loose scales (if they are hard and not rotten, they can be used for propagation).
If there is rot, remove to healthy tissue. If necessary, treat with antifungal drugs or root rot remedies.
Overexposure: keep well in the refrigerator. Use the product recommended for pre-planting treatment/storage. Dry. Place in a dry substrate, wrap in newspapers and store in the refrigerator at a temperature of +1 + 4. It is advisable to place the bulbs with the sprout facing upward, then even if the lilies begin to grow, the sprout will not bend. If the sprout exceeds 10-15 cm, it can be planted in a pot. You just need to remember that lilies grow roots at temperatures no higher than 10-15 degrees. Therefore, the pot must be placed on a glazed balcony or in the refrigerator. You can plant a lily from a pot into open ground only after the threat of return frosts has passed. We plant lilies stored in the refrigerator in May.

Clematis:

Clematis with 1-2 eyes or, if the purchased clematis is frail, are planted in long pots without a bottom; rose pots are usually used. You can use larger clematis pots. Sometimes I plant in not very large pots at home, and when I bring them to the dacha, I plant them in larger ones. Why do I plant it in a pot without a bottom? Yes, because in just one season, the roots of clematis in good conditions extend beyond the boundaries of the pot. If the pots have a bottom, then as a rule I get a twisted ball of roots, some of the roots come out of the drainage holes and when digging these roots break off, and the tangled ones have to be untangled during planting, which is not good, because in the fall I try to transfer the clematis from the pot to its permanent place , and not replant.
So, I planted it in a pot (I buy soil, if it’s not possible to buy it, you can use soil from the garden) and I dig the pots into the ground in a stationary greenhouse. If there is no permanent greenhouse or there is no room for pots, then you can build a greenhouse from arcs. The main condition is that there is constant humidity, warmth and no stagnation of water at the roots.
Then clematis grow by leaps and bounds and in one season you can get decent bushes with several buds or even sprouts. I never place pots on the ground; I always dig them in, so there is more opportunity to retain moisture inside the pot at the roots.
Peonies are a separate matter.
About buying peonies. The life cycle of these plants is such that they best tolerate transplantation and division in the fall. Rhizomes planted in spring take root worse, are stunted in growth, and are more susceptible to disease. To be fair, it must be said that it is not easy to completely destroy a peony root - they are very unpretentious - but you can easily lose a year, or even two, before full flowering. Experienced peony growers advise immediately planting the rhizomes acquired in the spring in large (3-8 l) pots and displaying or digging them in the garden, and in August-September, at the optimal time for peonies, planting them in a permanent place

They are popular among gardeners and landscape designers for two main properties - beauty and unpretentiousness. Among the thousands of species of daylilies, it is difficult to select the most attractive ones, since they all have bright and expressive colors during the flowering period. It is always difficult to believe that a beautiful, delicate flower can be unpretentious, but when it comes to caring for daylilies, this is absolutely true. The plant can grow for ten years without replanting, bloom in partial shade and be picky about the soil, but it still needs minimal care, for example, before wintering. Let's take a closer look at the topic of how to prepare daylilies for winter.

Basic information about daylily

Daylily belongs to the lily plant family. This flower was brought to Europe from Asia and successfully took root in new territories. An interesting feature of the plant is its one-day flowering. Each flower lives only one day, but due to the fact that there are quite a lot of buds on the stem, flowering continues for a long time. This characteristic property can be taken advantage of. If you plant different varieties from the earliest to the latest, the picturesque flowering will continue throughout the summer. In order for this beauty to continue from year to year, it is important to approach the wintering of daylilies responsibly.

Autumn preparation - pruning daylilies

The fact that daylilies are often called flowers for the lazy is also confirmed in the matter of autumn-winter care. This plant is very winter-hardy and usually does not require complex manipulations. It is necessary to determine when to prune daylilies for the winter based on the plant itself and its “behavior” in a given season. Flower shoots are removed immediately after flowering. If autumn is rainy, then wet flowers may still remain on the stems after withering; in this case, it is also advisable to cut them off. But there is no need to rush with the leaves. Full pruning of daylilies for the winter is carried out in late autumn, since the leaves tend to remain green and alive even in October-November. When they do wither, it is necessary to cut off the entire above-ground part of the plants and remove them from the site in order to reduce the number of pests, rodents and the likelihood of diseases in the next season.

Wintering daylilies

In general, wintering and preparing for winter of daylilies of different varieties differs; the degree of care depends on the characteristics of the variety. Some evergreen or semi-evergreen rare ornamental daylilies may not tolerate a very frosty winter, so they require shelter for prevention; more adapted varieties easily tolerate the winter without outside intervention. It is also important to consider covering daylilies for the winter if they were planted in the fall of the current year, as this will help the plants adapt. Suitable shelters include sawdust, straw, dry grass, dry peat or spruce branches. Before covering daylilies for the winter, you need to make sure that the cold weather, because if the air temperature rises again, the daylilies may be banned, which will affect their condition much worse than later covering. There is another way to winter daylilies, perhaps not too easy, but suitable for areas where the temperature reaches -35°C in the cold season. The idea is that at the end of November, the daylily rhizome should simply be dug up and moved to a cold, but more gentle shelter, and then planted again in the flowerbed in the spring.

That's all the simple tips on how to prepare daylilies for winter. If you do not neglect them, then in the spring the flowers will bloom again.

Daylily is native to East Asia. This plant has been known to mankind since ancient times, but science first started talking about daylily in 1753. Swedish researcher Carl Linnaeus named the plant hemerocallis, combining two Greek words: hemera (day, day) and callos (beauty). This name meant that the beauty of the plant lasts only one day.

Not only cultivated varieties of daylilies are famous for their amazing beauty, but also “savages” that grow in the wild. Daylily flowers are extremely unpretentious, so much so that even flower growers themselves call it the plant of the lazy gardener.

Thanks to the efforts of American and Australian breeders, daylily has literally found itself at the “peak of fashion” in recent years. Despite the fact that the new plant species turned out to be more “capricious,” their incredible beauty compensates for the time and effort spent.

Did you know? The great popularity of daylily among gardeners around the world has been facilitated by the development of hybrid varieties. This happened in the first half of the 20th century thanks to the efforts of the famous American botanist Earl Stout.

Daylilies are very demanding plants; their planting and care in open ground is of interest to both beginners and experienced gardeners.

The main advantage of daylily is the time it takes to plant in the ground. It is very long and covers the period from early spring to late autumn. The choice of the most favorable time for planting daylilies directly depends on the climate zone, and this fact should not be overlooked.

If your latitude is characterized by the early and rapid onset of winter, then the daylily that was planted in the fall may not have time to take root before the first frost and will simply die. On average, this plant takes a month to take root firmly. If you choose garden forms with an early or medium flowering period, then even in regions far from the south, the daylily you planted will have time to fully prepare for the winter period.

Important! According to experienced gardeners, the most suitable time for planting daylilies in the middle zone is the last months of spring and summer - May and August.

Planting in autumn

How to plant daylilies correctly in autumn? Planting a daylily is no different from planting any other plant. To do this, you need to dig a hole 30 cm deep. Then carefully place the roots of the plant in it and bury it with earth up to the root collar, and then be sure to water it.

When planting in autumn, do not forget to cover the daylily with straw or hill it up with soil along with leaf humus. This will reliably protect the plant from cold weather and excess moisture entering the roots.

Planting in spring

Daylilies can be planted at the very beginning of spring, the main thing is that the soil is warm enough and frost does not occur. Of course, experienced gardeners know how to plant daylilies in the spring, but what should beginners do?

The first thing to start with is preparing the planting hole. Assume that the plant will stay in this place for at least 5 years, during which it will continuously grow and increase in size. The daylily should not be crowded in the place where it is planted. If the soil on your site is saturated with useful substances, then the hole for the daylily should be of such a size that the roots of the plant can easily fit into it. If the soil is dry and heavy, then the hole should be 2 times larger, and leaf humus or compost mixed with sand should be placed on its bottom. Don't know how to preserve daylilies before planting in the spring? Just wrap the cutting in newspaper, put it in the refrigerator, and it will keep perfectly until planting.

After the hole is prepared, form a small pyramid of soil at its bottom. Place a daylily seedling on top of it, and carefully spread the roots down the sides of this pyramid. Sprinkle the hole with soil, at the same time lightly press it down with your hands and be sure to water it with water. After planting, the root collar of the plant should be in the ground at a depth of no more than 2-2.5 cm; if this rule is not followed, the daylily will bloom poorly. Also remember that the distance between planted daylilies should be at least one meter.

Choosing a landing site

Daylily is a plant that loves sunny and well-lit places. You can create a whole flowerbed or plant daylilies along the paths, thus creating a bright and colorful carpet of “gramophone flowers”. The peculiarity of the daylily is that the lighter the color of its petals, the more sunlight it can receive. All daylilies have a certain shade, and the leaves of daylilies planted in direct sunlight quickly turn white. It is better to plant darker types of daylilies in light partial shade, since due to the bright sun all the rich colors of the petals will quickly fade and become less beautiful and attractive.

Lighting and temperature

As mentioned above, daylilies love bright places, but you should refrain from planting them in direct sunlight.

The growing season of daylily begins quite early. This happens when the snow melts and the frost ends, when the temperature does not drop below 0°C at night. Typically, the awakening of daylilies begins in mid-April. In autumn, night temperatures can drop to -3°C, and this causes daylily leaves to begin to wither. During early autumn frosts, the leaves of the plant flowers do not even have time to turn yellow and immediately wither. If the summer is cold, the daylily blooms noticeably worse. The buds of the plant become small and do not open completely, or may not open at all, simply withering and falling off. High summer temperatures significantly shorten the flowering time of daylilies and burn the ends of its leaves.

What kind of soil does daylily like?

The composition of the soil in which daylily is grown does not play a big role for this crop. The plant needs enough ordinary garden soil. If such soil is not very nutritious, then it can be fertilized without much difficulty using compost or various mineral compounds. As a rule, such compositions are sold in any flower or garden store. If the soil is too heavy and dense, then it can be diluted a little with ordinary sand so that excess moisture does not stagnate in it. Daylily can also grow in sand, but in this case it requires more frequent watering, since the water in such soil evaporates quite quickly.

How to plant a flower correctly

Before you start planting a daylily, it must be immersed for some time in water with diluted growth stimulants. Such drugs as “Zircon”, “Epin”, “Gumate”, etc. are suitable as such stimulants.

Since daylily is a perennial crop, the place for its planting should be selected and prepared with special care. This plant requires a fairly large amount of space in the flowerbed. So, the hole for planting daylilies should be at least 30 cm deep. Also, it is necessary to first pour the peat humus mixture into this hole, and then add a small amount of potassium-phosphorus fertilizer. After this, the daylily is carefully immersed in the hole. The plant should be planted to the level of its root collar. The entire remaining space of the hole should be sprinkled with garden soil, and then it should be compacted and watered thoroughly.

Important! If moisture is quickly absorbed, this indicates that the soil has not been compacted enough. In this case, simply add dry soil and compact the soil well.

How to water a daylily in a flowerbed

Daylily is a plant that requires high-quality watering. With a lack of moisture, its flowering deteriorates significantly, and the buds become dull and small.

Watering rules should be observed especially carefully during the growing season. The rate of moisture directly depends on the soil in which the daylily grows. To ensure that the daylily does not experience a moisture deficiency, it is necessary to regularly monitor the soil around the stems - it should not dry out. For irrigation, it is preferable to use a large amount of water to moisten the soil to a depth of half a meter.

Daylilies need to be watered at least once a week. If the daylily grows in light sandy soil, then it should be watered more often, and it is also advisable to mulch the soil around the plant to slow down the evaporation of moisture.

Watering is best done in the evening, but before dark. It is not recommended to pour water directly on the buds and leaves of the plant, as this may cause them to become stained. Water the plant right to the root, using a regular garden watering can with a wide nozzle tip - this way the stream of water will not wash away the soil from under the daylily root.

Feeding and fertilizing daylilies

Fertilizing and feeding daylilies is carried out after studying the composition of the soil, after which the fertilizer is selected.

The main rule is that any fertilizers are applied no earlier than 2 weeks after the plant has rooted. A young plant will need 2-3 feedings per season; an older (5-6 years old) daylily that blooms profusely will need 4-5 feedings.

• At the beginning of spring, daylilies are fed with a full range of mineral fertilizers. The most common is NPK 16:16:16 (diluted in the proportion: 1 tablespoon of granules per 10 liters of water).
• In April and May, in order to increase the growth rate, complex fertilizers containing large amounts of nitrogen (diammonium phosphate, ammophos, nitroammophosphate) are added.
• In the summer, when the daylily blooms, it can be fed with organic matter. A solution made from mullein, chicken droppings or fermented grass is suitable for this.
• At the end of flowering (beginning of autumn), fertilization is carried out with sulfate with ash, or nitroammophoska - this depends on the climate. This feeding has a positive effect on increasing the size of flowers and their number in the new season.

How to propagate a plant correctly

Daylily is a fairly unpretentious plant that can grow in one place for 12-15 years without replanting. But this is undesirable, because after a certain time the flowers will become noticeably smaller, and the bush will take on a somewhat neglected appearance. And an old, overgrown bush after it is transplanted can get sick and die. To avoid such problems, you should start dividing and replanting once every 5-6 years. Daylilies can be propagated using several basic methods, each of which has both advantages and disadvantages.

Did you know? The Germans jokingly say that daylily is the flower of intelligent lazy people, that is, gardeners who prefer beautiful plants that do not require a lot of work to grow them.

Seed method

Propagating daylilies by seeds is a fairly common method among gardeners. Daylily seeds can quickly lose their viability, which is why freshly harvested seeds are best planted in the autumn. The sowing process is very simple and does not require any special tools or skills. Take the seeds and sow them in pre-prepared soil (fertilized and dug), deepening them to a depth of 2 cm. If for some reason you did not have time for autumn sowing, then it can be postponed to spring, most importantly, do not forget to carry out preliminary stratification of seeds (imitation of natural conditions for their awakening).

Vegetative methods

As already mentioned, the best time to propagate daylilies is spring. They can also be replanted in the fall, but daylily cuttings must be large.

Propagation of daylilies by cuttings begins with the selection of a very overgrown bush, which is time to replant. Dig up the bush and, using pruning shears or garden shears, cut off all the green mass and leave stumps approximately 15-20 cm high. It is necessary to trim the greens in order to restore the balance between the greens and the damaged roots.

Now you can start dividing the bush. This can be done using a pitchfork, dividing the daylily bush into small cuttings. If you don't have a pitchfork at hand, you can try doing it with your hands. Then dig a hole along the length of the cutting and pour a small handful of potassium sulfate into its bottom, since daylilies need slightly acidic soil. Place the cutting in the hole up to the level of the root collar, carefully sprinkle it with soil, tamp it down, and then water it.

A little trick on how to make daylilies bloom faster

Did you know that by planting hybrid daylilies, you can encourage them to quickly produce additional shoots, thus causing the bush to grow? As soon as the hybrid daylily seedlings reach a height of 5-6 cm, cut them off by about half. Such a simple manipulation will force the plant to produce a bush with a large number of layerings and increase the number of flower stalks many times over.

Daylily is a real decoration of a garden plot. Give it a little attention, and it will delight you with its rainbow colors from early spring until late autumn!

When going shopping, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Many garden centers are expanding their sales of perennials this year. At the end of spring, it will be possible to purchase new items already grown in containers, in a convenient season for planting, and not turn your apartment into a jungle.
• Plants for collectors are not suitable for spontaneous purchases: growing Persian hazel grouse, cyclamens, Japanese irises, agapanthus, ophiopogon, kniphofia requires special efforts.
• Don’t buy everything, no matter how beautiful and alluring the photo looks. Before going to the mall, make a “wish list” in advance and take a pocket guide or plant catalog with you. And, control yourself!
• Do not buy rare varieties at attractively low prices from unverified sellers. Yellow and striped peonies are not cheap. The high cost of such varieties is the global norm (they are popular and still rare).
• Don't believe bright labels promising "blue and black" peonies - there are no such things in nature. There is also no lily tree, blue and black imperial grouse, pure blue phlox and blue roses , red-leaved host .
• In case you have any complaints about the quality of the planting material, you will need a purchase receipt and packaging. Save them until planting.

Rhizomes, cuttings, seedlings (hereinafter referred to as “roots”) are most often sold in plastic blisters or bags with a cardboard accompanying label. The bag should contain: the name of the variety (including in Latin, it will help to accurately determine the species), a brief description of the variety, quantity in pieces, planting instructions, a mark about passing quality control, the ratio of the crop to light. Information on winter hardiness must include either the growing zone or the maximum sub-zero temperature in degrees.

The packaging should not be damaged, the filler (peat, sawdust, shavings) should be slightly damp. Preference should be given to:

• plants in a dormant state, without regrown pale shoots;
• make sure that the roots are healthy, elastic, clean;
• they should not be overdried (resemble a herbarium showing no signs of life), wrinkled or rotten;
• obvious evidence of disease - mold, suspicious wet spots, rot or slippery areas;
• growth buds, indicating that the plant is alive, should be visible: hosta, delphiniums, brunner, astilbe, peonies, phloxes, dahlias, ;
• if you buy bulbs lilies , make sure that they have healthy roots at the bottom, a dense bulb, no spots or rot on the scales, and a small sprout.
• In gladioli, young corms are rounded rather than flat.

After purchase, the task comes down to one thing - to extend the dormant state of plants in apartment conditions as much as possible. It is preferable to store dormant plants (with unsprouted buds) at low positive temperatures before planting.

Keep the roots of most perennials in a purchased substrate at 1-3°C before planting in the ground. They can be buried after the snow melts into the so-called “April mud”. Plants that have not woken up and have just begun to grow, dig them into the ground obliquely and cover them with lutrasil.

1. The plant is sleeping. Store in the refrigerator (in packaging). Only unawakened perennials are suitable for storage in the refrigerator.

Inspect the roots - if necessary, remove damaged parts, treat with fungicide ("Skor", "Topaz"). If the peat is dry, cover the roots with slightly moistened peat, place them in a bag with holes made in advance, and put them in the vegetable compartment.

Stays great until landing: hosta, daylily, astilbe, bearded iris, sedum, tradescantia, oak sage, meadowsweet, bergenia.
Make sure that the rhizome does not rot: in astrantia, bergenia, brunners, dicentras, lungworts, liatris, ferns, Rogers, Tradescantia.

2. The plant woke up. Store in the refrigerator (in a pot).

If the buds have awakened, you will have to plant them in a container and put them in the refrigerator: aconite, phlox, Siberian iris, hellebore, delphinium, heuchera, tiarella, echinacea, ashen geranium.

To begin the growing season, these plants need a rest period at 3-5 ° C, the so-called “cold start”, so in May they are planted in the ground already grown in cool conditions.

It is important to note: before planting the cuttings in pots, the root system is slightly shortened - after pruning, active growth of lateral roots begins. Absorbing root hairs are formed on them, on which adequate nutrition and development of plants depend.

3. The plant woke up. We keep it on the windowsill.

If the buds have hatched in the refrigerator and it is too early to plant the plant in a flowerbed, plant it in loose, non-nutritious soil and, if possible, place the pots either on a glassed-in loggia or on the brightest window.
Calmly withstand this procedure: hostas, daylilies, dicentra. They are planted in open ground after the threat of repeated frosts has disappeared, gradually accustoming them to bright light and temperature changes on the balcony.

If you bought a peony in the spring, do not expect to revive a hopeless peony division (a desired, but the last specimen in the store) with the help of growth stimulants - it is better to choose a healthy plant more carefully or refuse to purchase. The herbaceous peony has two periods of regrowth of suction roots - in autumn (August-September) and spring (April-May). The optimal time for dividing and planting them is August. In the spring - only forcedly. But rare new items can be obtained at just the wrong time - in February-March. Later, it is better not to buy peonies with exposed root systems (divisions).

What to do: plant the plants in 2-liter pots and keep them “on a starvation diet” in a cool, dark place (cellar, basement, glassed-in loggia, garage) until warm weather, only slightly moistening the substrate. After the threat of frost has passed, bury pots of peonies in the garden until autumn. You can plant them in the spring, but try not to disturb the earthen ball, so as not to damage the suction roots.

Tree peonies with an open root system in April in most shopping centers will already have dried out buds and roots, so it is better not to delay purchasing them. Carefully inspect the grafting site to ensure there are no signs of rotting; plant it in the same way as herbaceous peonies. If the buds have not awakened, the plant should be stored in a cool, dark place - for example, in the refrigerator at 0 ... + 2 ° C. If they wake up and start to grow, expose the peony pot to the light. Ideal for a cool windowsill.

If you bought Siberian iris in the spring, inspect the roots for rot, spray carefully, avoiding water getting on the leaf fan. Plant the plants in pots, put them in the refrigerator and keep them on dry rations. Replace watering by spraying the top layer of the substrate as needed. Since the leaf fan should not be waterlogged, cover it with your hand to prevent moisture from entering. To take root in free soil, “Siberians” need a long period of sufficient humidity without temperature changes. In places where drought sets in quickly, it is preferable to plant them in the fall, and in cool climates they can be planted in the spring, after the snow has melted.

Agapanthus, of course, will decorate any composition, but it is better to grow it in a pot and remove it from the garden for the winter. This crop does not overwinter in open ground.

Liatris is planted in the spring, but until it grows, it will not show itself in all its glory, so there will be a “hole” in the ceremonial composition for a long time.

Mallows, yarrows, Echinops, eryngium, and tansy do not like storage in the refrigerator.- before planting in the ground, it is better to keep them on the windowsill in containers.

In the dark near the plants Discolored shoots may form, which must be gradually acclimated to sunlight. If there are no whitish shoots, take them out onto the loggia in the sun, lightly shade them with newspaper or paper for several days. If they do appear while in the refrigerator, let the plants get used to the light gradually.

Phlox is not suitable for growing in container culture, as it does not like overheating of the roots. It’s better not to buy it “in the roots” at all in the spring.

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