Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about Hostas? 

Daylilies

Q: Why should I buy a daylily?
A: Daylilies are fast becoming the most popular perennial gardening plant in America due to their beauty and the fact that daylilies are so easy to grow. Once the plant is established, common sense watering and a little fertilizer will make the plant perform well year after year. To put it another way, daylilies are the ideal plant for low maintenance gardening and they come back year after year. By selecting daylilies that bloom during different times of the season, you can extend their bloom and color throughout the summer.

Q: If I order plants from you, what do I do when get them?
A: Upon receipt of your daylilies, unpack the box immediately and place the daylilies in a container with their roots in water and put in the shade. Let them stand in the water for at least two hours. They are then ready to plant.

Q: When is the best planting time?
A: Daylilies can be planted when frost is out of the ground. Daylilies may be planted in New England (and the North in general) from May I to September 15. The season is extended as one moves southward. In Florida, for instance, daylilies may be planted all year long. Plants that are obtained at our nursery during the summer may be dug, taken home, and replanted while they are in full bloom. They must be kept watered, of course.

Q: What if I can't plant them right when I get them?
A: If you leave them in the shade, in water so that their roots are covered, they can safely go up to a week without being planted in the ground.

Q: Where should I plant my new daylilies?
A: Daylilies like at least a half day of sun, they are NOT shade loving plants. Daylilies prefer a well-drained location. They will grow in a wide range of soils, from sand to heavy clay, and in a wide range of soil pH's. When planting, work up the soil with peat moss and well-rotted manure or a sterilized commercial type of manure that can be purchased at most garden centers. A modest application of 5- 10- 10 or 10- 10-10 is also helpful but should be applied on top of the soil around the plant about 6 inches out and scratched into the soil surface, Do not put the fertilizer in the hole with the plant as it will burn the daylily roots.
Note: The location for planting should be chosen so that the new daylily plant will not have to compete with tree roots. They will rob the daylily plant of water and nitrogen.

Q: How exactly should I plant the daylily?
A: Dig the hole large enough to accommodate the roots fully spread; cover the roots with soil to a point about one inch above the crown, (about one inch above the upper most root). Water the newly planted daylily and water again each day thereafter for a week. After that, do not let the soil become excessively dry until the plant establishes itself (2 - 3 weeks). Daylilies will grow in practically any soil. However, if the soil is overly acidic, add a little lime.

Q: How far apart should I plant each daylily?
A: Daylily plants develop into a wide range of sizes when established. Some general guidelines for spacing are: small flower and miniatures - 16" to 20"; large flowers - 18" to 30". Or you may place them in groups of three or five of the same variety; we recommend planting these in a triangle shape, where they may be placed closer together, say, 14 to 16 inches apart. This type of mass planting will insure a more spectacular show sooner as the triangle fills in and spreads outward. Daylilies may be left undisturbed for many years or may be divided every 3 to 5 years.

Q: What and when should I feed daylilies?
A: In the spring, it is a good idea to fertilize daylilies. A little 5- 10- 10 or 10- 10- 10 will work wonders in plant performance. Work a tablespoon of fertilizer (two tablespoons for plants that have been in for more than three years) into the soil in a circle about ten inches away from the plant. Gently scratch the fertilizer into the upper level of the soil. Then water the plant well. Fertilizing can be done during April or early May with good results.

Q: Should I do anything special for winter?
A: Dormant and hardy semi-evergreen daylilies consistently survive our northern winters and thrive year after year, becoming more beautiful with time. However, mulching with salt marsh hay or pine straw the first winter after planting is helpful but not necessary.

Hostas

Q: What is a hosta? 
A: Hostas are a shade-loving perennial. This magnificent plant has been a favorite with gardeners for many years. Once known as the Funkia Lily and the Plantain Lily, it is now known as Hosta and is a member of the lily family. It too is a low maintenance perennial and can stay in the same spot indefinitely. Used primarily for its foliage, hostas come in all sizes ranging from miniatures and rock garden sizes, to huge, showy, tropical-looking plants. Colors range from yellow green to deep blackish green to blue. Many have splashes or borders of white, cream, or yellow. Some of the green hostas have a rich blue or silver blue color, due to the frost-like surface of the leaves.

Q: When I get the plants I ordered, what should I do with them?
A: The box should be opened immediately upon arrival and the hostas removed. Plant the hostas immediately as specified.

Q: Where should I plant my hosta?
A: Hostas do well in most any soil that retains adequate moisture but not standing water. They prefer partial or full shade. The cream or yellow colored varieties keep their color best when given more sun; the blues require more shade to maintain their blue color, which will be burned off by too much sun. A few will tolerate totally sunny exposures.

Q: How should I Plant the hosta?
A: Prior to planting, prepare the soil deeply by adding at least one third organic matter such as peat moss, well-rotted manure, compost, or leaf mold, to two-thirds soil. Space large leafed hostas 36" - 40" apart and smaller leafed varieties 18" - 24" apart. Water thoroughly after planting. Keep the soil evenly moist especially during periods of drought.,

Q: How often should I fertilize my hosta?
A: Hostas love organic feeding; their performance may be enhanced by top dressing the plants with 2" - 3" of composted manure. Take care not to cover the crown of the plant with the mulch. Foliar feeding hostas with liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks during the early and mid summer months has produced good results for us. We use a general purpose fertilizer that is mixed with water when applied with a garden hose applicator.

Q: Should I occasionally divide my hosta?
A: Hostas may be left undisturbed for years without dividing. Very early fall is a good time to divide if you choose to do so.