I got in on the daylily co-op and now I need to figure out what I am going to do with them. I am confused because I have read that some people have them in their hosta bed (shade) while I read that they are sun lovers. Unless they are deer-proof, they have to go in my fenced backyard which puts them in west facing sun. My questions is can they take that? Or do I need to try and provide some afternoon shade? My backyard is pretty much one way or the other - you either get the shade or the sun. Any recommendations?
Annie
Advice for location for daylily bed
The good folks over in the Daylily forum can sure help you with that one...I have mine part sun, part shade....
"eyes"
I have mine in a west-facing bed and they're not doing so well right now. I'd try to find a place where they can get at least dappled west-facing sun or plant them behind some taller plants as a way to provide shade if you put them in the hot afternoon sun.
I decided to ask advice in the Texas forum because we just have a different type of sun to deal with. West facing in Minnessota is not the same thing as here. Sometimes I think people think I am stupid when I ask if a plant can take sun when they live up North. I will go ahead and post in the Daylily forum because I am sure there are some Texans on that forum as well!
Annie
You are right - - the Texas sun and heat are totally different from that of other states. Full sun for most plants does not necessarily mean full Texas sun. I have daylilies in both full sun and part shade/part sun where they are protected from the hot afternoon sun. In early spring, it does not seem to make much difference & the ones in full sun are fine. But with the heat and drought, the ones in part shade/part sun are holding up much better. The ones that die on me are almost always the ones in full sun. I have also found that some of the red daylilies and darker colors tend to fade out really fast with the sun hitting them. I think stephanietx's advice is good.
Good luck with the daylily beds. I think that they are one of the most rewarding plants to grow.
Annie, I live north of you about 100 miles. Our climates are very similar, though Goldthwaite may be a little less humid than Austin in summer and a little bit colder in a normal winter. I have had my daylily beds in full sun for many years, and though most of the plants have survived and bloomed well in early summer, they burn to a crisp this time of year in spite of heavy watering and cypress mulch. I have an acre to play with and quite a few oak trees, so I am redoing all my beds so that the daylilies will receive some shade after noon. Right now they are living in pots with trees on the west side and happier than they have been for a long time. It feels like a convection oven outside today! The forecast for the week promises more of the same.
I difinitely agree with part sun, part shade, and that goes for all but the drought and heat tolerant plants I have.
"eyes"
I vote for just part sun too. My Stella d'Oro gets the full brunt of Texas sun from 10:30 till about 4, and it just keeps on blooming. But all the rest seem to look better year-round if they get more relief. I don't see that it matters WHEN they get sun, just that they're not stuck in blazing hot sun all day.
I wish I knew what WILL do well in our blazing hot sun all day. :(
Also... hmmm... hostas. That might work fine up in Wisconsin, where they can actually grow hostas in a lot of sun. But down here I wouldn't dream of it. I have some that lap up our spring and fall sun and would be prettier if they got more of it. But then the July/August oven rolls around, and it's a chore just to keep them alive, much less looking good. Daylilies do much better in those spots.
Just as an example... last spring I planted 3 Francees in midday sun. They had done fine in sun from 4:00 on, so I thought they might take just a couple of hours midday. I dug them up last night and hope I got them out in time. I'm thinking of putting daylilies there instead. I ordered 20 in the coop... they have to go somewhere, right? :)
I have a bed in the backyard that runs the entire width of my backyard (city lot) left by the previous owners of our house. It gets mostly dappled shade all day long. I'm really considering moving all of my daylilies to the front of that bed. I really think they'll do much better in our area with the dappled shade. They'll get a couple of hours of full sun, but when the really hot part of the day gets here, they'll get dappled sun.
Stephanie
I've about decided that the only thing that does well in the blazing hot Texas sun is cactus. I have a large bed that gets full sun and I have replaced almost every plant in it during the last 5 years even though the bed gets water and the soil has been constantly amended. The remaining plants in that bed are coming out & will be put in dappled shade and will be replaced with cactus and drought tolerant natives.
I can't grow hostas either although I think they are beautiful.
You can grow hostas if you have NO sun and enough air circulation. At least, the lady next door can! LOL
Natives are the best bet for the hot sun, though some look a bit droopy in the really hot afternoon. They will perk up, though.
Lantana, and vinca are the best for the really hot direct sun, it's just a hard stressful year for all the rest....anyone else notice the ground cracking...doesn't matter if you water the heck out of it either...
"eyes"
Thanks everyone. I have 20 coming (that darn co-op, I have to stay out of that forum) so I guess I will mingle them in different places and try to get them either some protection from trees or other tall perennials around them. I sort of have the cottage garden style going at my house - if there is a hole there plant something in it. I'll have to check on the ones that I ordered from the co-op, give the darkest colors the most protection, right?
Annie
Annie Jo my Firecracker shrub is taking the boiling hot sun very well as long as it gets water. I am totally amazed at this shrub and how hardy it is in our extreme heat, drought, and humidity. Here is a link that tells about it.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1844/
We are in a terrible drought right now in my part of Texas. I told my DH just this weekend that I may replace some of my roses with the Firecracker shrub. The butterflies and hummers love this shrub. It also gets large enough to help shade other more tender plants.
Lin
We've been growing daylilies for about 20 years now, so we've made most of the mistakes. They'll do best with at least 6-8 hours of full sun, and if you have a choice, that would be morning sun. The darker varieties will tend to 'melt' in the heat of the afternoon, so dappled shade is a plus for them. They'll grow in full shade, but bloom poorly. Our largest two gardens get full sun all day, and the biggest problem is simply keeping enough moisture in the ground. Northern growers mulch to keep the plants from freezing - we mulch to slow down evaporation. Oh, and they are definitely NOT deer proof. Deer love the blooms and buds, and if those aren't available, will eat the foliage down to the crown.
Ken