Propagating Daylily From Seed

Daylilies are an excellent choice for beginner gardeners because they are easy to grow and require little maintenance. Start your daylily garden by planting the seeds in the early spring. They are some of the most popular annual flowers globally, and with good reason! These beautiful plants are easy to grow from seed, and they are a great way to get your garden ready for summer. Daylilies are available in a variety of colors and styles, and they can be grown in a variety of climates. Keep reading!

Collecting Seeds

1. Daylilies need pollination to thrive. The majority of daylilies do not reproduce on their own. In this case, the pollen must have come from a new source. Hand-pollinating daylily flowers is an easy way to try crossing different daylily varieties and creating hybrids. To transfer pollen, take an anther covered in pollen from one flower and place it on the pistil of a different plant’s flower. Located in the center of the flower are its anther and pistil. At the bottom of the flower, the pistil contains the ovary and a long tube that extends upward from the flower. Around the pistil, the pollen-covered anthers rest on a thin stem or filament. In fine, yellow pollen dust, Pollinate in the morning to get the most out of your efforts when the pollen is wet and sticky.
2. To produce seedpods, the plant should have flowers left on it. Seedpods are small, green fruits with three lobes that appear at the base of dying flowers. A wide range of plants produces them. As they mature, green seeds turn yellow or brown in color. Most daylily varieties have a seed production time of six to eight weeks.
3. When the seedpods begin to split open at the top, pick up the shiny, black seeds. Allow the roots to air dry completely on a paper towel. They should be kept in a cool, dry location in a sealed plastic container. The seeds should be dried in the open air if condensation forms in the container during the initial drying process. It may take several weeks to dry the seeds in humid climates.

Sowing Seeds

1. Before you plant the daylily seeds, stratify them. Approximately five weeks before planting, add a few drops of water to the plastic container and place it in a refrigerator set to 35-45°F (1.7-7.2°C).
2. Plant stratified seeds outdoors in a well-drained area that receives at least six hours of sunlight daily once the weather warms up. Plant seeds in potting soil in a pot and start them indoors instead. As long as the temperature is between 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit, daylily seeds germinate the best. To get the best results, plant the daylily seeds about 1/4- to 1/2-inch below the surface of the soil. Immediately irrigate the soil. Plant seeds in a warm, sunny spot if you’re doing it indoors in a pot.
3. Water the soil daily until the seeds germinate and the roots are established in the planting bed or pot. Germination can take up to a month. After the risk of frost has passed, transplant seedlings are grown indoors in the garden. To encourage deep root growth, gradually increase the time between watering sessions while irrigating deeply. Daylilies should be rinsed once a week once they have established themselves in the landscape.
4. Use a balanced liquid fertilizer for bulbs and flowering plants to feed the daylilies’ soil. Plants should be fertilized after sprouting outdoors or beginning new growth after transplantation. Fertilizer should be mixed with water in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, then diluted with additional water to the recommended strength. Apply a fertilizer-water solution to the soil around the daylilies, and then water the plants. Apply a sufficient amount of the solution to saturate the ground. A solution should not be applied to the plants.

Do You Need to Grow Daylily Seeds?

Hybridization is the primary motivation for growing daylilies from seed. Many interesting things can happen when daylilies cross-pollinate. If you grow your hybrids from seed, your garden could contain some incredibly rare and valuable daylilies.