The Season Moves On

It won't be long until the daylily season is over here in southeast Tennessee. The days are hot and humid and we are having a minor drought. The season was at least two and probably three weeks early this year and we did have some nice rains at opportune times so rebloom is like I have never seen before. Almost all of our new introductions are reblooming this year.

Most of you know, I grow the daylily seedlings in trade one gallon pots in water beds in the greenhouse. One of the things I have noticed this year is that the scapes are very thick, some ranging near 1" . . . plus, there are many, many LARGE proliferations on the 9-month seedlings. To the left, I am showing an example.

I reworked one of the seedling display beds between the greenhouse and the street. I added about 4" of mushroom compost and tilled it in. Then I began transplanting selected 9-month seedlings from the greenhouse to this bed. The bed, 8' wide and 40' long will hold approximately 100 plants on 2' centers. I have gotten about 60 plants in, so have about 40 to go. Here is what they look like so far.

After transplanting, I add some Milorganite and some Nutricote 18-6-8 T-180 w/ minor. I will fill the rest of this bed with greenhouse selected seedlings and then begin working on the second one. I have not decided whether I will put the proliferations down in the ground beside the mother plant or pot them and take them into the greenhouse. The last step will be to add some pine bark mulch to help hold in the moisture and keep the weeds down.

There are still a few new seedlings blooming in the greenhouse.

Seedling No. 2128 (Robert W. Carr X Home of the Free) A big old gaudy thing that really catches your eye.

Seedling No. 2132 (Rockets Bursting in Air X Barbara Mandrell) Another saturated red of very heavy substance.

Seedling No. 2125 (Angels Gather Around X Irish Halo) Combining the genes of Bill Waldrop and Larry Grace cultivars.

Seedling No. 2131 same cross as above.

Seedling 2130 (Razorwire X Irish Halo) Green teeth.

The Tennessee Valley Daylily Society will meet today for our annual potluck lunch. It doesn't take much to see that I am an eater, so this is right up my alley. We will also get a financial report on how we did at the Regional. Maybe if we have a couple bucks left, I can bring in a speaker or two for our club program next year.

Life is very, very good.

Lee