Good question, and I say it depends ...

I live in the great white North, outside Buffalo, NY. It's really white right now.

When I get plants from the far southern states delivered to me as these huge fans in May, it generally takes a year for them to bloom, and a couple of years to settle in. The first year they need to reduce in size to normal Northern fan size, and then they can bloom.

Plants I get early in the spring from my same general type of climate, can flower the first year, but I never expect the bloom to look it's best the first year. But it should the second, and yes, I'll hold out for a third year.

But you are correct that there are some cultivars that can take longer ... or some need a different spot. I have 2 daylilies that I have noted that I need to move to my back gardens, which have a little shade during the day ... my front gardens are in full sun.

I've had a couple of daylilies that have suprised me years after being in my garden ... I had to look twice to see what it was since it finally looked really good.

So, to answer your question, I would think that 3 years would be a good guess.

If I plant in the fall a 2 fan division, I will have flowers in the next summer, In the spring it just depends on the cultivar. As for the big 2 fan (southern or maybe chem fed for fast increase) fall planting you should see some blooms possible, fans may shrink to normal size or not. For a good show I agree 2-3 years depending on the cultivar. Hope you have many lovely blooms this year! I try to buy from my zone/region or locally for best results. Kathy

I'm with Pam.

First for me, I've found that I haven't had great success with fall plantings. It could be just me but they never seem to do anything the following spring/summer.

I aim for spring plantings. I often don't get any flowers on those plants as they've suffered trama from dividing, shipping, etc. Some will sulk, others will grow nicely.

second spring/summer usually involves some flowering and maybe increase.

third is usually better as the plants have settled in and have increased so they have a nice display.

I guess it is like someone told me years ago with perennials: first year they sleep, second year they creep and third year they leap.

I'll be quite interested to see what this spring/summer brings to my garden as last year we had some of the rainest months in decades during the spring/summer so I'll be interested to see how the plants react this year.

The other thing with 2 fan divisions. Are the 2 fans that are attached or 2 individual fans?

Thanks for the input! Now as for the old adage: "First year they sleep, second year they creep and third year they leap", I have found that's pretty much applicable for perennials. 2 fan divisions being so smaller than my usual starts, I guess it will be interesting to watch for progress. The weather's an interesting aspect! Last year was unseasonably cool through the summer and it seemed to turbocharge my 2 year old hosta divisions and spring iris divisions. We had a big ice storm this time in '09 and somewhat similar conditions this year with the snow and temps below normal so it might be interesting to see the effects.

I hit a few nurseries both early and late in the season trying to pick up deals on old stock but those usually end up in someone else's landscape. (slowly acquiring a "perennial junkyard" behind the garage though...)Luckily I do have a small daylily farm of sorts nearby, great folks, they've hooked me up with some dandies! Not to mention another nearby farm that 'Timberohio' recommended that I've yet to visit (I will get there this summer!)

That said though, some of the pictures posted here over the past few years have driven me to find some new varieties by mail. Small starts or not! Not quite up to the 1-2 year old intros just yet, still a bargain hunter but there are some really nice cultivars I just won't find locally.

~Wes

Thank you for asking this question. I'm newly bitten by the daylily bug, and was wondering the same thing.
Is their a list of recommended sellers anywhere? Thanks!

email me and I can direct you to some different places.

I don't think I can post the names/links here without the post getting deleted.

As for seller recommendations, yes you can post on this forum and many do (myself included). I am careful though in watching for those who post just to advertise for a seller and/or get extras for their posting high praise on public forums. I fell for a couple and now will be more thorough in the future. Lessons learned....

So far, I've only seen issues with double/2 fan divisions on particular cultivars and not really an issue with where I got it from.

Thank you. Sent you an email, Daylilyluver. Sorry if this is a threadjack.

Hi,
I would just remember, if you are going to plant 6 fans of one kind altogether what that is going to look like in 3 years. Last spring I dug and divided many daylilies that had been here 3 summers at the most. They were huge clumps, packed tightly together and had all started as only 2 fans. The more you start with the sooner you will have to divide them. Unless you are going to spread those 6 fans out a bit I would only start with 2. I know it is hard to look at an empty flower bed but you have to think ahead. Put some annuals in it for the first year. By the second year the daylilies will look okay and by year 3 they will be gorgeous. By year 4 you will have to be dividing some!

Swontgirl, it's a good point you brought up and I didn't mean to neglect your reply. The more I grow, the more I read, the more I learn and the point of my question in the first place. I realize it's the 'norm' but 2 fan divisions are foreign to me. I know specific cultivars are quicker to multiply but I've rarely had to divide daylilies out of absolute necessity. Two fans is a slow start, a daylily that doesn't have clump appeal is something I don't want. Everything I've chosen for myself in recent years was something I saw in person with that trait. I'm dividing some 4 year olds this year but only two out of need, the rest will be thinned for accent plants and gifting purposes. Buying unknowns I'd prefer a little more substance given the option, I'm not doing $150 cultivars much less buying for hybridizing. I've yet to grow a daylily with increase that outruns me, a lackluster clump meets Mr. Spade...

I've nearly maxxed out on several 'standard 2 fan' divisions from a few vendors. Curious to see what I receive and how they do. Three post-2000 intros lined up, more patience with them as they cost a tad more, hottest of the lot was down to $15 and I have higher hopes for it than the one that went $100 even.

Fingers crossed, LOL.

~Wes

I've found over the years too that Diploids tend to increase faster than tets,particularly when they are new. Some of the new "fancy" tets might increase at only one fan per year until established. I have often seen scrawny single fans of dips go to a small clump in one year's time!

As with everything in life it is often those $5 and $10 dayliles that grow the best and clump up the fastest which is probably why they cost so little! They ones we pay more for are often slower but we can only afford 1 or 2 fans!! Last year was the first time I have even ordered a single fan of a dyalily. It was huge when it came, it bloomed amazingly well and I am almost a single fan convert!! I am looking forward to seeing if it increased at all this spring.
Debbie

I unfortunately live in an area where there are NO DL growers, so all of my daylilies have been mail order. I totally agree with the 3 year time frame. Plants increase slowly in our area, but if they are planted in rich soil, a garden of 2 fan divisions will look full and fabulous in three years. We have mild winters, so I almost always plant in the fall, and am usually rewarded with at least one or two scapes the following summer on most plants.

Julie

I have not seen any difference in the vigor between dips and tets. It really depends on the cultivar and how much inbreeding it has experienced. Vigor is usually not first on the list of traits that hybridizers select for. If it was, then the tets, by reason of more DNA material per trait should be the more vigorous.

Sandi Jacques has maintained a 'Recommended Source List' for several years. Taken largely from Daylily Forums like this one. I'll link her site below.
Ed

Here is a link that might be useful: Sandi's Website

Ed, thanks much for the input, link, and reply to the QG question thread!

~Wes