Hi,
It certainly isn't too late to start daylily seeds. I have started some and have more to go.It really doesn't matter how far along they are when you put them out. Some people don't think it gives them enough of a head start to be bothered growing them indoors but I do and it gives me some gardening to do in the winter!
I started mine in peroxide solution and then put them in my basement under flourescent lights. As each seed germinates I plant it in a styrofoam cup and when I get a cup full it goes downstairs. It is about 18 down there.
When I get quite a few I start a heater but mostly to get the air circulating.
I started hardening them off on my shaded porch in April and then got them used to more light. I had to bring them in a few times but they were pretty good out there. I bought one of those shelf units with the plastic cover and it worked really well for quite a while. I planted them on the May 24 weekend. The tops all died off as they started growing from the centre but the roots were so well developed they just took off. I had about 10 send up bloom scapes in Sept but they never did bloom. I probably should have cut those off but I was so anxious to see a bloom. I marked them to see what happens with them this spring.
I have added a link to some photos I posted.
Good Luck
Debbie

Here is a link that might be useful: My seed starting and seedlings

It isnt too late, Ive started them as late as march 20th or so. The later you do start however, the smaller they will be going into the ground . Ive found the bigger and earlier I get them , the better chance I will have bloom the next summer. Im too far north too really get anything the first year. I started some in Novemember last year to see if I could do it, the fans looked big enough to set a scape, but it just didnt happen before frost.

I use heat mats under 3 sets of shop lights, some poeple have more than that. But it works for me.

I prefer to start them in the diluted peroxide solution, namely so I can see what germinates while I pot up. I then can disregard the useless seeds. However, It would work for any method. I dont kike peat pelletts, I prefer promix to anything else. But thats me as well. I wouldnt bother with the rocks, though I know there are people who use them here. I just wouldnt want to deal with them.

Silverkelt

Debbie: Great link and visual on your album. Would be interesting to see your timeline on the pic titles.
Looks like you don't do drainage holes in the bottom of your cups or do you?
Are you using the heating mat when germinating in the peroxide? I wasn't quite sure if the mat was just heating the cups or the soaking ones as well.

I'm starting mine in about 1 week. I already had to start 3 which had germinated in shipment in the fall. 1 survived and 2 didn't make it :-(. I also have 2 proliferations from Orchid Corsage growing indoors.

Two methods I found useful: Directly sowing in Promix (no presoaking)in plastic shoe boxes and the other presoaking in peroxide and then planting in cups. On the Rocks just didn't work for me. Probably something I was doing wrong.

Julia

I sowed my daylily seeds about 2 weeks ago and already about 22 are up. I did soak mine first for about 4 weeks. I don't have grow lights but I have a sunroom. We'll see how things go from here. Can hardly wait to see what colors I get! Marg

Hi Julia,
The heat mat is under the soaking seeds and the cups. It is mostly for the seeds - I don't always have room for the cups to be on it but if I do I leave them on there until I move them downstairs.
I do put drainage holes in the bottom- about 4 per cup. Make sure you find tall cups. I poke them with a Kabob skewer thingy. It is very important to do that. It is much better to water them from the bottom if you can. This helps keeps the fungus gnats from taking over. They like the wet soil to lay their eggs in. If the tops are dry they stay away. Also the cups need to drain. If they are too wet you will lose your seedlings to damping off. I found watering the hardest part last year. It can be tricky. If the seeds had just germinated I always wanted to water from the top a bit because there wasn't long roots to soak up from the bottom but maybe I worried about this too much. I've learned it is probably better to keep things on the dry side rather than too wet. I also started a weak fertilizer solution after a few weeks as promix has nothing in it food wise.
Thanks for the comments on my photos. I have dates on the seedlings outside but not the ones inside. It really doesn't take very long before they start growing. I started some in December and the rest in February.I didn't really notice a difference. The tets grow bigger than the dips and I tried to not put as many in one cup- sometimes only 2 tets sometimes up to 5 dips. It is more the depth they need for roots than the distance around.
Mine all got leggy last year even under lights but it was the great roots that helped them outside. The long leaves all died anyways and new ones grew as soon as they were planted. They got pretty beat up being moved around outside while I hardened them off. It didn't matter one bit.
I found the promix really good for separating them when I was transplanting. They just came apart so easily. The cups are a bit of a pain to deal with when you get moving them in and out( they tend to fall over) but I couldn't find tall 4" pots and I think the styrofoam actually helped insulate them a bit and keep them the same temp. I am trying a few plastic beer cups this winter - they hold a bit more soil but I can still fit 18 in a watering tray.
It's really lots of fun. Good Luck.
Debbie