I have some fairly expensive single fans shipping soon. I wouldn't ordinarily order such expensive ones for fall shipping, but it was necessary to grab them while I had the chance.

Here in Ohio, daylilies can usually be planted out through September -- and some hybridizers line out through October -- but I've lost plants planted out in September and prefer to limit mine through the end of August. (I should mention that we are able to get snow in mid-October.)

I leaf-mulch heavily, but would love to know if there is anything else I can do to ensure that they live and return in Spring. For example, planting them (well-labeled, of course) together as a clump?

Plants coming from the South will have a more difficult time acclimating. It is possible too that the plants you lost were rather tender to begin with. Good Northern-friendly plants should be able to be planted through September in pretty much all of Ohio.

mantisOH said:Plants coming from the South will have a more difficult time acclimating. It is possible too that the plants you lost were rather tender to begin with. Good Northern-friendly plants should be able to be planted through September in pretty much all of Ohio.

Interestingly, four of the daylilies I lost came from a hybridizer in Indiana, fairly close to me in my own zone. Normally, I pretty much expect to lose a few container daylilies, but this past winter was the first that I've lost plants in-ground. A LOT of them. Others in my area had the same experience, and we're wondering if it had anything to do with the Polar Vortex.

I just want to assure that the same thing won't happen this Winter, especially with such costly daylilies.

Do you have the ability to plant them in the ground on your south facing side of your house, close to the foundation??

Despite our wacky warm/cold/really cold cycles last year, I had great growth on most stuff by mid March in my zone 5A/5B garden.

I also one year got a plant that I was told could be temperamental..... and it was coming from further north than me. So for the first 3 winters, I would literally make a greenhouse for it, using a large clear plastic container with a few slits to allow for air circulation and no build up of condensation. I added lots of mulch and leaves around it and it appeared to do well. Last winter I didn't give it this special treatment and this year, it didn't bloom for me!!

mom2cjemma said:Do you have the ability to plant them in the ground on your south facing side of your house, close to the foundation??

That's a great idea, thank you! That area doesn't get much sun in the summer when the trees get their leaves, but it's full sun in Winter. When I cut back the Pink Elephant hibiscus, I can plant them right next to it.

I have always been cautioned not to plant new things on the sunny side of the house to winter over. The problem is freeze-thaw-freeze-thaw-freeze-thaw.......

That is interesting, haven't had problems, but then because of the wind, I usually end up with a healthy layer of leaves along that side of the house. Maybe that helps with protection.

Your approach of getting plants in early is about all you can do, but I would certainly use a wood or bark mulch rather than rely on leaves (that mat and trap moisture). If the cultivar is hardy, heaving and rot are the biggest problems in winter survival. If leaves are also used, I would use a light layer in November.

One tip I learned from a hybridizer in Indiana was to put bricks around them. The bricks not only keep the new plants from heaving in the winter, they absorb sunlight during the day and release it during the night, keeping the plants warmer.