How Long Can Daylilies Stay Out Of The Ground (Explained)

At times, when planting, we might not have our garden ready. It can also be that you’re traveling with the plants for some time. 

Some plants like daylilies can be kept out of the ground. But most of us don’t know for how long we can do that without causing damage.

Are you one of those who badly need to know how long can daylilies stay out of the ground?

It depends on how you store them. If they are placed in water, they can survive for up to 2 weeks. They can also survive healthily for 2-3 years! But that is when they are placed with some soil covering their roots.

However, this can only be successful if they are taken a little care of properly. If you are intrigued to know more about this, read along! 

Can You Keep Daylilies Out Of the Ground? 

Yes, of course, it is possible to keep daylilies out of the ground. They are the most forgiving type of plant. Also, they are very sturdy and adaptive. That is why you can easily keep daylilies out of the ground. 

But, when you do it, you need to follow some basic rules and procedures. Doing those will help you in prolonging the time of keeping them out of the ground. It also enhances their health and growth.

How You Can Keep Them Out Of the Ground? – 2 Options

how long can daylilies stay out of the ground

There are two ways in which you can keep your daylilies out of the ground. One way is by keeping them in water. The other way is by keeping them out of the ground with some soil covering their roots. 

Now which one would be more effective?

Let us look at each procedure in more detail to find out. 

1. Immersing the Daylilies in Water

This process is usually followed when there is no soil available to at least cover the roots.

Using this procedure, the daylilies would survive for up to 2 weeks. However, sometimes, they may not survive for that long.

To do this process right, you need to take a bucket of water. Immerse the daylilies in this water. Be careful not to stack too many lilies in one container. Don’t take more than 5 daylilies in an average-sized bucket. Give them some space to breathe as well. 

They should be immersed in such a way that it covers the whole daylily except beneath its crown. Make sure that the crown must not touch the water. 

Also, you need to change the water daily. Otherwise, the water would get stagnant. Because of it, harmful bacteria may start growing in it. This would inhibit the growth and life of the lilies. Also, their roots may get damaged. 

However, if you are too busy to change the water, there is something else you can do. When you fill your bucket with water, you can add hydrogen peroxide to it. That would eliminate the bad smell and also the germs. Your lilies would grow just fine for up to 2 weeks. 

You can get hydrogen peroxide from our suggestions below. Take a look at these-

Their growth won’t be as enhanced. It can be that they won’t bloom either. They will just survive until you’re ready for planting. 

You may even add 2-3 scoops of manure at the bottom of the bucket. That would increase the plant’s nutritional value. 

2. Covering the Roots with Soil 

This is the best procedure because it doesn’t endanger the life of the plants. The daylily can survive in it for as long as 1 to 2 years. It can even bloom in this condition. It also does not need much maintenance except for spraying the roots with water regularly. 

In case you need spray bottles, here are our recommended ones-

For this procedure, you have to just cover the roots with soil. Just a handful of soil should be used so that the roots are completely covered in soil. Then you can just leave the plant sitting on the ground. Place it in such a way that it gets a light source. It can be placed both under the sun or artificial light sources. 

You can add half a handful of fertilizer or horse manure to the blob of soil. This would ensure better growth of the plant. However, there are varieties of fertilizers. 

Here are some of the best fertilizers that you can choose from: 

These fertilizers are pretty good. It can be ensured that they will work very well in enhancing the growth of your daylilies. 

However, too much fertilizer can become a problem sometimes. So keep that in mind.

Now, how long your daylilies can survive out of the ground? That actually depends on how you keep them. 

For the water one, you have to take care of it a bit to ensure that it does not get rotten. For the other procedure, the plant will be totally fine. You would not have to worry about it much. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Can daylilies take full sun?

Answer: Yes. They work very well when they are exposed to full sunlight 6 hours a day. However, they should also be planted on moist and well-drained soil. 

Question: What do you do with daylilies after they bloom?

Answer: After they bloom, we have to cut them to the ground. This would ensure that they look all neat. It would also prevent them from investing energy into seed production. 

Question: Will daylilies grow under trees? 

Answer: Daylilies are very forgiving. So growing under trees is no issue for them at all. They grow very well, particularly under pine trees. 

Wrapping Up 

Now you know all about how long can daylilies stay out of the ground. Yes, daylilies are sturdy so they live for long out of the ground. 

But we don’t encourage you to do it unnecessarily. So, this knowledge can become your savior in terms of emergency situations only. 

Let us know how it goes for you. May this experience go smoothly for you. Best of luck!

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