Daylily from Seed - Germination


Indiana can be a cold zone and unlike our friends in the south we cannot immediately plant daylily seeds when they are ready to collect.

Galak's Gardens uses this method with an 80% germination rate on average. If you don't have much space, this is a great method to hybridize your own daylilies

Step 1. The seed pod should be gathered while the seeds are still ripe.  The pod itself will have just cracked open.


Step 2. Carefully pull the seed pod apart by using your finger tips to hold the cracked opening of the pod.

This will expose the seeds and they should easily fall from the pod.


Put the seeds in a clean paper towel, fold up the paper towel and set it in a spot away from sunlight or direct heat (ie room temperate) and let them dry for two weeks. You might want to write on the paper towel what the cross was if you are tracking this.

Step 3. After two weeks, take the folded paper towel and put it in a ziploc bag, press the air out and seal. Put it in the refrigerator and forget them until February.

Step 4. Fill a gallon zip lock bag and add 2 cups of vermiculite to it. Using a hand spray bottle with tap water add 100 sprays (not streams) into the bag. Add up to 15 seeds in the bag.  Zip the bag shut and shake to distribute the seed.  Place in indirect sun light (I used full spectrum lights).

Step 5. Check the bag occasionally.  you should notice green leaves growing in 2 weeks.  When most of the leaves are 4 inches tall, it is time to carefully transplant the seedlings to their own pots or in a flat.