I have lost one seedling this year from Spring Sickness, but it was a tiny fan and not too strong anyway--may have been the one tet seedling I've ever grown. Some seedlings looked terrible last year,but snapped right out of it this Spring. I don't grow daylilies to sell and they are all either old historicals or my own seed grown plants so I never bother to cull, unless a plant gets too invasive somewhere, so I have seen plants that looked sad in their first years blossom out like a teenager when they are ten . One pale pinkish single fan started in 1999 now has over forty fans and I can't count the scapes, it's developed the habit of popping up two scapes from a fan and it's now bright red and been in bloom a week. I'm not at all sure what causes Spring Sickness---were I younger and better organized and not such a procrastinator I would like to try a few trials to see if I could learn something. For the last few years all of the plants that got Spring Sickness have been seedlings newly planted in cultivated soil--my established plants are not disturbed and naturally mulched by falling leaves and dead leaves and I'm wondering if bare disturbed soil splashing on plants doesn't cause some problems or if younger plants are more susceptible ?? Anyway I think some may grow out of it and be healthy adults just like bratty kids! -----------------Weedy

I really like that last seedling also. I like the lines in it to where it looks like darker pink ink is drawn into the veins. I am always drawn to the daylilies with that, just beautiful. Rena'

This has always been an interesting topic to me. Scape height is very hard to evaluate here at least in my particular situation. I have over 300 registered CV's here. I went out and measured a bunch of them at random a few minutes after I read your post and the bulk of them are not showing scape height any where near what you see on the AHS registry. Linda Beck averages 20" here. Warrior Victorious is 23". Orchid Gilded Ruffles is true to the AHS description of 18" but one of the few that comes up to the registered specs. Red Friday is 21" here. My lilies are atleast 2 years of age and most are between 3 and 7 years of age. They are fertilized and well maintained yet I almost never see the scape height that is stated in the registry. The only exception I see to this are the daylilies hybridized by Jamie Gossard, and some of Karol Emmerich's. When anyone wants to see Jamie's plants I just tell them to look for the ones on the flag poles....those will almost always be Jamie's plants. Maybe you should send some of that lily to a southern living friend and see what the scape height goes to in the next growing season. You might be surprised. Linda

as new seedlings only display one leaf when they first appear...for the remainder of the season. (Is this correct, Ken?) ==>> i dont think this is an absolute ... under lights.. you can get from seed to flower and more seed in side a year ... but thats in perfect conditions ... many seedlings are NOT in perfect conditions.. under plants.. dry.. no sun.. etc ... so they mostly stay rather puny ... this one was out in the path.. so lots of light .... probably rain.. etc ... its only job year one.. is to grow roots... for next year ... so even if it stays small.. whatever root mass it can grow.. dictates how big it will be year two ... if you stop cleaning your beds.. and leave the flower stalks there all winter.. you will start getting a lot of seedlings ... which can become a real problem ... ken