Garden

[Biftu]

This Spring I bought two Stella d'Oro day lilies from a local garden shop.  They were healthy and had lovely flowers.  They are planted in full sun and are not crowded.  A few weeks later, nothing.  I did deadhead the spent flowers but now I see no new buds.  They look fine, but no new flowers.  Any ideas why they stopped flowering and how to get them to bloom?

[Kachina624]

@Biftu   Hopefully the plants you bought are re-bloomers.  I'd call the garden center and ask.  About the past 35 years or so, most Stella d'oro plants sold have been re-bloomers.  Maybe they were forced to bloom early for sales and think the season is over.  Maybe they're resting.

At any rate, there's nothing you can do but hope for a better season next year.

[Grade1Teach]

Did you keep the description tag from the flower container? If not and you do remember them being Stella d'Oro, more than likely they are rebloomers.

I find that plants I buy never grow exactly as expected the first year.  More than likely, they were forced blooms so that they would be more appealing in the store for purchase.  Once in the ground, they need to be babied for that first season. By the second season, they grow and bloom as expected.

When I plant something the first year, it often looks amazing, but the flowers sometimes start to fade out quickly or they don't rebloom as expected.  Your daylilies are more than likely just fine.  They are acclimating to your temperature and soil.  They might rebloom, but it will probably take some time.  I find that Stellas take more than a few weeks to rebloom anyway.  There might be some sporadic blooms here and there, but a true second flush of flowers doesn't happen until August or so where I live (Long Island).

I wouldn't worry too much just yet.  It sounds like you did everything right.  Continue to check on them and water them.  Even if they don't rebloom this year, I bet they will next year. 

[Biftu]

They were pretty when they were flowering.  I see many of thse lillies growing in places where  I'm sure they are ignored and still look lovely.  It's true, sometimes the second season is when floowering plants rejuvinate. I guess better luck next year.  Thanks.

[lynne6was7]

Stella d'Oro daylilies do pause a little between their first and second bloom periods.  Also, in my experience, the second bloom flower stems are often shorter so they bloom more within their leaves.

That being said, in addition to picking off the spent blooms, you should also cut each flower stem down to the base when it no longer has any buds.  You do not want the plants to put energy into producing "hips."

And, if you fertlize daylilies, they will put that energy into producing leaves rather than flowers.  I feed my daylilies with Miracle Gro only once per year.  I wait until we have a dry period at the end of July or early August, and then water with Miracle Gro.

Finally, because your plants are young, they may not have a strong second bloom this year.

Hope this helps.

[moonandthestars]

@Biftu In reading all the responses I learned something!  I didn't know about cutting the stems.  

What I have discovered about these particular lillies is that they need some water almost every or every day.  that will keep the blooms coming and coming.  

[Nataliesgramma]

I always add one or 2 of them each year in the flower beds. Usually they look so much better the second year and there after.

The 2 that I added this year don't have any blooms right now either

Rabbits and deer seem to leave these alone.

[PA Mom-mom]

@Biftu  You may get another set of scapes this year. If you deadhead the flowers correctly - snapping the flowers off the little stems that meet the scapes - you shouldn't form seed pods. If you do see a seed pod, just snap it off. My Stella d'Oro lilies are still showing some of the first blooms, but then they will rest for a while and scape again. Just make sure to keep your lilies watered regularly if it's dry. Don't cut back the stems after deadheading, just let them die back normally. As long as your lilies are getting enough sun and water, they should be fine.

[Mom2Dogs]

@Biftu. My day lilies will bloom twice, once they bloom in summer, I trim them back, clean up the area and they rebloom.  Maybe yours will rebloom. 

[Icegoddess]

I have Happy Returns and while they do bloom twice in a season, the first bloom is always the best.  They (and Stella d'Oro) are not ever-bloomers which sounds like what you're expecting.  Even my ever-blooming azalea doesn't bloom throughout the whole season.