pruning

Question

can a gaillardia Arizona sun flower survive the winter in new jersey and do i have to prune it at all for the winter also i got astatic lilies the spring and they were beautiful when they stoped blooming i took of the dead flower and-then by October the foliage started turning brown so i digged it up and kept the bulbs in a bag for a week but now i am wondering if i was supposed to leave the bulbs in the ground .also i got dallies and the turned brown so i pruned them do i have v to do anything else to them and will they come back next spring. thnaks marty

Answer 1

Your Gaillardia and asiatic lilies are winter hardy in NJ. I usually wait until foliage turns yellow or leaves drop before cutting them down to 2 inches – just high enough to mark the spot. You can also leave Gaillardia in the garden and birds and small mammals will eat the seeds. Gaillardia, aka blanket flower is a short-lived perennial so it is wise to collect some seed each year. Expect them to last about 3 years. They will self sow if allowed to go to seed. Collecting seed may be unnecessary but it is good to have just in case you don’t get seedlings. Seedlings don’t emerge until the weather and soil warms which is a bit later than returning plants. I suggest that you replant the lilies outdoors right away. The last plant you mention is misspelled. If you are referring to daylilies, no winter prep is needed. If it is dahlia, you must dig them up and store the tubers inside during winter. They are not winter hardy. Here is an article on storing dahlia tubers: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/dahlia/storing-dahlia-tubers.htm