As a daylily, I feel the seasons change deep within my roots and crown. The shortening days and cooling soil of autumn are not a signal of an end, but a call to prepare for my winter rest. To ensure I emerge vigorous and blooming next summer, I need your help to navigate the harsh conditions of a cold US winter. Here is what I experience and what I truly need from you.
As the vibrant summer heat fades, my focus shifts from blooming to storage. The sunlight you see is my energy source; I use it to create carbohydrates through my leaves. I no longer send this energy to flower production. Instead, I channel it down to my thick, tuberous roots. These roots are my pantry, and a full pantry is my key to surviving dormancy and fueling a strong spring resurgence. Please, do not cut my foliage back as soon as the last flower fades. Allow my leaves to remain green and photosynthesize. They will naturally yellow and brown as the nutrients are drawn back into my roots. Once they are completely brown and withered, they can be gently removed to tidy the area and discourage pests.
My most vulnerable part is my crown—the point where my leaves meet the roots, sitting just at or slightly below the soil surface. A sudden, deep freeze without a protective snow cover is my greatest fear. It can damage or kill the crown, which means no new leaves will emerge in spring. This is where your help is vital. After the ground has frozen hard for the first time (usually after a few hard frosts), please apply a thick, loose layer of mulch over my base. About 4 to 6 inches is ideal. Use materials like straw, shredded leaves, or pine boughs. The timing is crucial; if you mulch too early, while the soil is still warm and damp, you might create a cozy home for rodents who will nibble on my roots, or encourage rot in my crown. Mulching after the ground is frozen locks in the cold, keeping my crown dormant and safe from damaging freeze-thaw cycles that can heave me out of the soil.
While I am dormant, my roots still require some moisture to prevent them from drying out and dying completely. However, my number one enemy during winter is "wet feet." If I sit in cold, waterlogged soil, my roots will suffocate and rot, a condition from which I cannot recover. Therefore, well-draining soil is non-negotiable for my planting site. In autumn, if the weather is particularly dry, a deep watering before the ground freezes is beneficial to ensure I enter winter well-hydrated. But once winter sets in, nature usually provides enough precipitation in the form of snow, which also acts as an excellent insulating blanket. Your main task is to ensure that my planting area does not become a basin for standing water from winter rain or melting snow.
The warming days and lengthening light of early spring will stir me from my slumber. You will see tiny, green shoots beginning to push up from my crown. This is the time to carefully and gradually remove the winter mulch. Do not remove it all at once if a late frost is forecast. Instead, rake it back to allow the soil to warm and my new growth to get air and light. Leaving the mulch on too long can cause the new shoots to be pale, weak, and susceptible to disease. A light application of a balanced fertilizer at this time gives me a welcome boost as I put all my stored energy into a new season of growth.
