Daylily – Reblooming
Q: My Stella d’Oro daylilies bloom great at the first of summer and almost never after that. They are three years old and appear to be well established. I fertilize in early spring but I’m not sure how much and how often to do it now.
A: Stella D’Oro is probably the best known daylily in the United States. It was considered a breakthrough in daylily hybridizing because of its continuous bloom. The daylily has moderate size, simple color and repetitive bloom, which make it a choice daylily for many landscapes.
The keys to its reblooming are full sunshine, regular watering and ample fertilizer. These stimulate vigorous new foliage, which then produces scapes (blooming stems) full of flower buds. Apply a slow-release fertilizer such as Osmocote now and make a habit of regularly checking the soil for dryness. Your Stella’s should be blooming happily in a month.
On a related note, I have noticed more seed pods on Stella d’Oro daylilies this year than I’ve ever seen before. Remove them regularly in order to maximize bloom production.
Black-eyed Stella reblooming daylily