OK, I've got a n00b daylily seller's question for all your seasoned vets. Let's say I have a clump of the same cultivar. It can be divided up into 3 double fans; however, only two on the double fans actually have scaped and bloomed. So, what's the rule of thumb here? Do I hold on to the double fan that didn't bloom and wait until it blooms before I sell it, or do I put it on sale along with the other ones that bloomed? Thanks in advance for all your help ...

Well, just for the sake of learning more myself I am going to venture out into this with an answer and wait for more experienced feedback. I didn't know double fans and blooming had any relationship with each other. I have received double fans that were way too small to have ever bloomed.

Most people will specify whether it is booming size, but it doesn't matter if it has bloomed.

Jon is right. I have received daylilies that said they were "blooming size" when shipped, but they had to grow most of the season to actually reach blooming size (the actual time in which they bloomed).Many of them did not bloom that season, and I have a pretty long growing season, but they did not get the special care they might have gotten in some other gardens (lots of fertilizer), so most of them might have actually bloomed that season under perfect growing conditions.

jon said:Most people will specify whether it is booming size, but it doesn't matter if it has bloomed.

Jon, thanks for your reply.

Thanks to everyone who has posted a reply so far. You've cleared up a lot of the confusion I had ;)

In late 2014 I had a friend pick up daylilies that that I purchased on the Auction. They could have been used as tooth picks. That small. She didn't know, but when she sent me pics I imploded (so I didn't upset her--they were so small she wasn't sure how many fans they had). Oh well, they are in my garden now (got them in Nov.). They have been fertilized and are doing well. They will bloom this year!! I don't give feedback when the plants are sub-par.

Arlene that same thing happened to me. I will never buy from this person again, like a dummy I bought about 15 from him. Have him blocked on lily auction now and only buy a few from new sellers to see how it goes. This was a co-op but they sell on the auction as well. I will not name this person but they know who they are! I have a long memory. Plants all came in a medium flat rate box.

When the plant you won arrives in one of those post office video cassette boxes....yeah....

If I'm understanding you have 4 bloom size fans and two smaller ones in your clump. You could do two double fans with the bloom sized ones and replant the two smaller fans if you still want to keep a piece of the cultivar or to grow into a bloom size double fan to sell later. Or what I typically do is include the smaller fans as a gift when I ship, one with each bloom size DF. I'm at the stage where one plant needs to go out in order for a new one to come in...

springcolor said:Arlene that same thing happened to me. I will never buy from this person again, like a dummy I bought about 15 from him. Have him blocked on lily auction now and only buy a few from new sellers to see how it goes. This was a co-op but they sell on the auction as well. I will not name this person but they know who they are! I have a long memory. Plants all came in a medium flat rate box.

All 15 fans in one medium flat rate box?

That might be the same person that I bought from on the LA a couple to a few years ago. The purchase, I must admit was done because of the cheaper price. I must EXCLAIM that they all bloomed true to name the same year or the following. My records showed that I got a small order from the said sell in 2013.
Zimbabwe Sunset
Sunset Returns
Orange Clown
Jay Farquhar
These all bloomed in 2014.
Jay Farquhar


Orange Clown

Forgot to mention that the order somewhat reminded me of my first big order from Gilbertwild. Those are all massive clumps now.

My first daylily order ever was from G. Wilds and it was made up of small plants, but it was very early in the year. The roots were pretty well established, but the plants themselves had not had much time to develop. By the end of the year most of them had bloomed, and the price was really cheap, so I didn't mind. I actually enjoyed growing the plants to blooming size. Being the plants were so short, it would be hard to describe the diameter of them, but none were what I would consider to be as small as a toothpick. It is easy to see how you can save by buying small plants, the shipping alone is a real money saver on such small plants. So communication is the key,if you know your are getting small plants to be grown on to blooming size that is OK, but if they lead you to believe they are going to be blooming size plants when you receive them that is a little different. So my question is what exactly is meant by "Blooming sized" plants? The best I can tell it refers to plants that will reach blooming size by the end of the season...opinions?
Here is one of my tiny plants that grew and bloomed by Summer.

I really like the photo of Orange Clown, Mike. Looks like a large bloom. Does the stalk support it?

Orange Clown

My thought on something said to be 'blooming size' is that you would be purchasing plant that should bloom in the same season. The difference between the locations of seller and buyer will affect that. I know I bought blooming size plants, but they came from Florida. The scapes were already growing when they shipped to my later season area. The scapes suffered from the dig and transplant. Some managed a bloom or two, but a couple did not. I think the reverse will also be true. The plants looked and did well, only the scapes were affected. If I make a purchase from a northern supplier, the transplanting time is going to be too late and the plants are going to suffer from the excessive heat at the time. But if your order is from a location that has a similar climate and timing schedule of bloom, I'd expect one described as a blooming sized plant to bloom if the transplanting process went well.

Well said Donald

Donald to answer your question on Orange Clown, yes the scape does support the bloom quite well thus far.
Some also refer to blooming size as fans that have bloomed in the past. It all comes down to patience. Just be aware that not all plants are going to bloom the first or second year for that matter.


OrangeClown

Even if you buy a blooming size fan, it may not bloom. Some daylilies take longer to settle in.

From my experience single fans often take a couple of years to bloom. Whatever you send if they are in better shape then this group of 3 I received, they will be an improvment. I called them the Bear Series (Pappa Bear, Mamma Bear and Baby Bear).....Maryl