This here, it’s about them daylily diseases and pests, you see? I got these flowers, daylilies, they call ’em. Pretty things, but sometimes they get sick. Just like us, I reckon. And bugs, oh, the bugs! They love to chew on ’em. I seen it all, I tell ya.
These daylilies, they usually strong. Ain’t much bother them. But once in a while, they get the sick. I remember this one time, my daylilies got this yellow streak thing going on. Looked like someone took a yellow marker and drew all over the leaves! Then it goes brown, like them leaves in fall. Not good, not good at all. My neighbor, she told me it’s called daylily leaf streak. Some kinda fungus, she said. Like what gets on your feet if you ain’t careful. Fungus, phew!
- Yellow streaks on leaves, that’s the first sign.
- Then them streaks, they turn brown.
- Whole leaf might just shrivel up and die.
And then there’s them little black bugs, thrips, they call ’em. Tiny things, but they sure can do a number. They make the leaves look all splotchy, like they been scratched up. And they mess up the flowers before they even open. Make ’em all twisted and sad lookin’. They leave their droppings, too. Nasty little things.
- Thrips make the leaves look scratched up.
- They make the flowers all messed up before they even bloom.
Now, if you see them yellow streaks early, you might be able to save your daylily. My neighbor, she’s a smart one, she says dig ’em up. Then you gotta cut off the bad parts, like cutting out a bad spot on a potato. Then you soak what’s left in some bleach water. Ten parts water, one part bleach. Let ’em soak for a bit, then let ’em dry out. After that, you plant ’em again, but someplace where the water don’t sit. Daylilies don’t like wet feet, you see. They’re like my old cat, Mittens, hated getting her paws wet.
Sometimes, the whole thing just rots from the bottom up. Crown rot, I heard someone call it. Smells awful, like old socks. And there’s another one, shoestring root rot. Sounds funny, don’t it? But it ain’t funny when it’s your daylilies that are dying. If you see those things, you know it is not good.
One time, most of my daylilies, they got this orange stuff on the leaves. Like rust, you know? They call it daylily rust, I found out. Makes the leaves look all bumpy and, well, rusty. It was a bad year for daylilies. Clean up your garden, keep them leaves away, they say that helps. ‘Cause them rusty leaves, they spread the sickness around, that is how it was explained to me.
And them bugs, oh, them bugs. Aphids, spider mites, I seen ’em all. Aphids are little and green, or sometimes black. They suck the juice right outta the plants. Spider mites, they make these little webs, like tiny spider webs. You see them webs, you know you got mites. This one time my neighbor lady, she says to me “You need to wash them plants, old gal!” So I spray them with water. Just plain old water. Sometimes it works, sometimes it don’t.
You gotta keep an eye on them plants, just like you keep an eye on your grandkids. Watch for them yellow streaks, them rusty spots, them little bugs. You can see all these daylily diseases and pests photos, to help you know what is what. If you see something, you gotta do something. It is better to be safe, than be sorry later. Don’t let them sicknesses and bugs ruin your pretty daylilies!
- Keep your garden clean, that’s number one.
- Watch them plants like a hawk.
- If you see something, do something!
Most times, though, them daylilies, they tough. They can handle a lot. But just like us, sometimes they need a little help. So, you keep an eye out, and you do what you can. And hope for the best, that’s what I always say. These daylily diseases and pests, they can be a real pain. But if you keep an eye out and you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty, you can keep them daylilies blooming bright and pretty. It is all worth it in the end, when you see those pretty flowers!
Botrytis blight is another one, they tell me. Don’t know much about it, except it makes the flowers all brown and mushy. Like they been left out in the rain too long. Not pretty. Just gotta keep those flowers dry, I guess. And them rusty leaves, pick ’em off and get rid of ’em. Don’t let ’em lay around, spreading their mold spores. Like I said, keep your garden clean. Just like you keep your house clean. Well, most of the time, anyway. Ain’t nobody perfect, right? But we do our best, and that’s all that matters. That is what I always say to my grandkids, you just do your best, and that is all anyone can ask for.
