Larry when I read that the scapes start to develop the year before I examined some of my daylilies under a microscope one November several years ago. One early bloomer had a baby scape about half an inch long, a couple of others had baby scapes barely starting although buds could be distinguished. They would just be dormant through the cold winter months and then start to grow the following year.
One of the smaller scapes with a pen for size comparison (note the crown was cut in half vertically to help me find the scape):
The half inch one
The buds on the half inch one under the microscope after removing the bract
The top tiny scape taken under a microscope
