I have a daylily order that was planted five to six weeks ago that basically is not growing.
I walk beside the bed with these plants every day and take a quick glance. They are basically still green but there are no obvious signs of new growth above ground.
Today I stopped and took a closer look. One of the plants had wilted grayish leaves so I investigated. Its roots show no sign of new growth and it has no new roots but there is no rot.
I dug up a sample of 10 of the plants. Only two have any sign of root growth and in both cases it is a single tiny new root sprouting from the crown (about a half inch long).

Has anyone experienced this or something similar? Any suggestions for what to do?

For a change you need help and are looking for an answer, I do wish I could supply one. I do hope someone here can provide some feedback, you are so good at answering our questions .

My daylilies do that. But probably for different reasons. I would first start and compare the climate they came from compared to yours.

I pot everything first and in a size larger than you think you need. If the pot does not have an attached dish at the bottom, I will stick the pot in dish pans I get at the dollar store. That does two things here... keeps insects like earwigs, etc. out of the roots, and allows for even watering. You just do not want them standing in too much water. I keep them in the shade and regularly water them with very diluted miracle grow.

I still do try and jump start them sometimes with hydrogen peroxide in the water. I am more reserved with that since there have been medical warnings for using hydrogen peroxide in wounds?... good bacteria is being killed along side the bad. Figure the same would happen to the plants and soil. Indiscriminate killing of good bacteria. But it has brought on new growth, you have to weigh your battle on that one.

Hopefully others will provide you with better help.

May you be blessed with continued success!

I've had that happen when plants are planted into too cold soil....I think it shocks them. A foliar feed may help.....I use Miracle Gro.

I bought some daylilies this Spring and some are like you described. However, in the last week or two the temperature has increased noticeably and it appears the daylilies are finally starting to show signs of life. So I'd have to agree with cold soil being a factor.

As long as they are not rotting, molding, have critter issues, ect, just leave them be and take care of them like they are beautiful and they will do it when they are ready. Gardening requires the patience of Job unless you are growing weeds and they will fill in nicely over night

I bought several from a South Carolina garden this spring and noticed that they were not growing. I pot everything up, as I am tight on space in the garden. I also live in Zone 5 and when I received the plants, it was still cold. They sat for several weeks with no growth, and I became a little concerned, as that usually does not happen. Then I saw scapes growing. I wondered if the plant was putting forth energy for the scapes and not the leaves. Once I saw a bloom and verified what it was, I broke the scape off, so it can put energy back to root development (I hope). During the entire time, the plant did not look distressed, it just wasn't growing.

David (Zone 5)

Typically, no matter where a daylily comes from, and regardless of the time of year they show up, I'll see *some* kind of recovery/re-establishment activity after I plant them. Dormants planted in December will poke the short tip of a leaf or two above ground, I always assumed it was to recoup a small amount of energy.

A couple of years ago I received a spring order from a NC nursery, and for the longest time, the plants just sat there looking at me. It was odd, because the plants were healthy-looking, multi-fan divisions. Occasionally, a daylily fan will get caught at the wrong time and just "stall" from being divided & shipped, but this was the whole order.

They eventually started to show growth, but were less vigorous than they should have been. They didn't really look "right" until the next season.

California has some fairly strict plant import requirements; my suspicion is that the anti-fungal & insecticidal dip the nursery used at shipping time had some ill effect on the plants, for instance, suppressing the growth of new roots.

I pot mine up in Coir ( coconut fibre) to start for about 2 to 3 weekss . This is a light medium that allows the roots to grow quite dramatically before I then plant them in the ground with lots of new roots. Works for me .

signet said:I pot mine up in Coir ( coconut fibre) to start for about 2 to 3 weeks

the roots to grow quite dramatically before I then plant them in the ground with lots of new roots

How early in the year have your plants arrived?

Maurice,
The last order I received this year came a lot later than I thought it would (mid-late May) and the whole order had been really slow to start. I thought I was going to lose them for a while, but I kept them wet and left them alone. One will bloom this year and one is making a second fan. I hear patience counseled frequently so... be patient : )