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Planting Daylily Seeds

© Ellen Roddy

Where do You Get Seeds?

During the past few days, the Daylily Robin has had some interesting thoughts on planting daylily seeds so I thought I would share my own experiences with you.

The first time I planted seeds, Parks seed catalogue came in handy. (No hybridizer, here. There must be a least four other daylily growers that don't hybridize.) The seeds arrived and it said to refrigerate them. Refrigeration breaks the dormancy of the seeds. Boy! Did I have some explaining to do! Well, I told my kids that it was better than some of the stuff that they put in there like worms for the various critters they fed.

Planting Instructions

Use a good quality sterilized soil mixture, containing vermiculite, perlite and peat or sphagnum moss. Moisten well, then use a fork to make the rows. You may want to use a fungicide to prevent damp-off, a fungus that attacks young seedlings as they emerge from the soil. Some people soak the seeds themselves for a few hours to soften the seed coat. There are even tales about nicking the seed with a razor. More power to you if you want to try this. Personally, I think this is too dangerous — both to the person and the seed! Plant the seeds at a depth of not over four times their thickness. Cover the plants with more of the soil mixture. Place a cover over the container. Now, this is the tricky part. Put them in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Then take them out and put them either in a window with good light or under some grow lights.

Waiting — The Hard Part

What is it about planting seeds that makes you want to go in everyday and dig them up to see if you can see the root starting to crack the seed coat? Strongly resist this urge! They will grow at their own pace. Just keep them moist when you move them to daylight. Mine were up under grow lights for about a week.

Check those Lights

One of the persons on the Daylily Robin had trouble when he put the seedlings under the indoor lights. As the seedlings grow, you need to move the lights up or they will burn the foliage of the young plants. A fan is helpful to keep the air moving around the young plants. A fan seems help both the humidity and circulation of fresh air. The theory is that air circulation builds stronger plants.

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