Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Daylily 'Frans Hals' (Hemerocallis 'Frans Hals')— schedule & NPK
Also called Frans Hals Daylily, Bicolor Daylily.
More about daylily 'frans hals'
About Daylily 'Frans Hals'
Hemerocallis 'Frans Hals' · also called Frans Hals Daylily, Bicolor Daylily · flowering
Frans Hals is a striking bicolour daylily with orange outer petals and contrasting rusty-red inner petals above a yellow throat. A vigorous mid-season bloomer on 70 cm scapes, it is one of the most recognisable daylily cultivars. Named after the Dutch Golden Age painter. TOXIC — all Hemerocallis are potentially deadly to cats.
Growth habit: Vigorous clump-forming herbaceous perennial
Watch for — Tall scapes flopping: In shaded or overly fertile conditions, scapes elongate and fall over. Stake or move to full sun; reduce nitrogen fertiliser.
What fertiliser daylily 'frans hals' actually wants — and why
Daylily 'Frans Hals' is an easy, light foliage feeder — a half-strength balanced liquid feed through the growing months keeps it green without forcing weak, sappy growth.
A balanced general houseplant feed (roughly even N-P-K) is exactly right — it is grown for foliage, so steady, moderate nitrogen for healthy leaves is the goal, not a bloom or root formula.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for daylily 'frans hals': match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed daylily 'frans hals', and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For daylily 'frans hals':
Feed with a balanced 10-10-10 fertiliser in early spring as new growth appears. A second application in mid-season supports strong scape development. Potassium-rich feeds in late summer harden the plant for winter. Treat that as sparingly through the growing season between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September); ease off in autumn and stop entirely in the low light of winter.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when daylily 'frans hals' is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for daylily 'frans hals'
Half strength is the safe default for daylily 'frans hals' — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water daylily 'frans hals' first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the daylily 'frans hals' watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding daylily 'frans hals'
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for daylily 'frans hals':
- Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges with no sign of underwatering.
- A white, crusty salt deposit on the soil surface or pot rim.
- Weak, pale, stretched new growth that flops.
- Lower leaves yellow and drop while the soil is correctly watered.
Signs you are under-feeding daylily 'frans hals'
- Uniformly pale or yellow-green leaves, oldest first.
- Noticeably small new leaves and stalled growth in good light and season.
- A generally tired, lacklustre look despite correct watering and light.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full daylily 'frans hals' care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Flush the pot of daylily 'frans hals' with plain water until it runs freely from the base every couple of months in the feeding season — it washes out the fertiliser salts that cause brown tips.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for daylily 'frans hals'
Organic options
A diluted seaweed or worm-casting feed, or fish emulsion if you can tolerate the smell indoors. UK: Westland or Baby Bio Organic, dilute seaweed; US: Espoma Indoor! or Neptune's Harvest fish & seaweed. Slow, gentle and hard to overdo.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A general-purpose houseplant liquid at half strength — UK: Baby Bio, Westland Houseplant Feed or Phostrogen; US: Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food or Schultz. Convenient and fast-acting; the only risk is overdoing it.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising daylily 'frans hals' — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does daylily 'frans hals' need?
A balanced general houseplant feed (roughly even N-P-K) is exactly right — it is grown for foliage, so steady, moderate nitrogen for healthy leaves is the goal, not a bloom or root formula. Daylily 'Frans Hals' is an easy, light foliage feeder — a half-strength balanced liquid feed through the growing months keeps it green without forcing weak, sappy growth.
How often should I feed daylily 'frans hals'?
Feed with a balanced 10-10-10 fertiliser in early spring as new growth appears. A second application in mid-season supports strong scape development. Potassium-rich feeds in late summer harden the plant for winter. Feed with a balanced 10-10-10 fertiliser in early spring as new growth appears. A second application in mid-season supports strong scape development. Potassium-rich feeds in late summer harden the plant for winter. Treat that as sparingly through the growing season between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September); ease off in autumn and stop entirely in the low light of winter.
What strength of feed for daylily 'frans hals'?
Half strength is the safe default for daylily 'frans hals' — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
What does over-feeding daylily 'frans hals' look like?
Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges with no sign of underwatering. A white, crusty salt deposit on the soil surface or pot rim. Weak, pale, stretched new growth that flops. Lower leaves yellow and drop while the soil is correctly watered. Feeding daylily 'frans hals' year-round on a fixed schedule, including dark winter months, is the most common mistake — it cannot use the nutrients in low light and the surplus simply burns the roots and crusts the soil.
Should I flush the soil of daylily 'frans hals'?
Flush the pot of daylily 'frans hals' with plain water until it runs freely from the base every couple of months in the feeding season — it washes out the fertiliser salts that cause brown tips.
Keep reading
- Daylily 'Frans Hals' care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water daylily 'frans hals' — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
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- All 11687 fertilising guides in the Growli library