Gardens can be full of surprises. A plant that sulked along for months suddenly feels at home and covers itself with glory.
Bulbs poke through the soil far from where the gardener is sure he planted them. Such are the joys of the unexpected.
Proliferations In The Garden
Not the least of garden surprises are the “baby bonus” plants called proliferations, sometimes found flourishing on daylilies’ bloom stalks (scapes). I think these are gift plants to be picked out of thin air and helped grow.
They are usually found in late summer or early fall when the plant stops blooming. Given care, they will root and grow and can be depended upon to be like the parent plant.
Go among your daylilies with a sharp eye for any of these baby plants you may want to save. Not all varieties produce them, but many do in generous measure.
Ways To Handle These Plantlets
There are several ways to handle these small plants. If the bloom stalk has a seedpod you want to keep, you cannot cut down the whole stalk. Instead, use a sharp knife and shave off the proliferation.
If the scape is expendable, you may cut it an inch above and below the proliferation leaving the baby attached to the stalk. Small bumps, sometimes visible at the plantlet’s base, are the root system’s beginning.
Insert the proliferation in a rooting medium in a cool shaded spot. It roots rapidly in a spongy mixture of sand and peat moss. Insert the proliferation about ½” inch deep and settle it into place with water.
Cover with a glass jar and leave it alone except for occasional watering if the season is dry. Shade the jar if the sun hits it. The plant should be ready to move to its permanent location in about three weeks.
As with any young plant, the proliferation needs a little extra care after it is transplanted. Well-rooted proliferations of fine varieties make welcome gifts for your gardening friends, and best of all, you can obtain them without disturbing your plantings.
44659 by Louise L. Wherry