Too late for day lilies?

[campingshaws]

Sorry if this is the wrong place. I'm mobile and it's hard to see stickies and suggested posts on the mobile site.

I'm in southwest Louisiana, zone 9, and I was given a bunch of day lilies in shallow pots. That's as far as I got. I finally have time to put them in the ground today, but it's just a day or two ahead of a massive front that's bringing rain and below-freezing temps.

What can I do to keep from killing these things? I'm a total black thumb. I've tried googling, but can't find an answer.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Just get them in the ground. If they're alive now, they'll surely be OK in LA.

 

[lazy gardener]

I'm in zone 4 and have a lot of day lilies. I've had them survive the winter as a clump that has been dug out of the ground and left sitting on top of the ground. There are many varieties of day lilies, some of which are called evergreen. I think they do better in the more southern climates. My daylilies go dormant in the winter. From my experience, the only thing that will kill a day lily is to let it get too dry, but I have no experience with southern daylilies. Get them in the ground, and water them well. Enjoy!

 

[campingshaws]

Thanks so much y'all! I was worried about them having enough time to get established before the cold weather, but it sounds like they're pretty hardy. My kind of plant!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You don't really call that cold do you?

 

[campingshaws]

You don't really call that cold do you?

I have thin southern blood, so definitely!! Last year I spent Christmas with the inlaws in Iowa and the HIGH temp was -14. And I made sure everyone knew I'm a delicate flower.

But really, last year a hard frost very nearly killed my grapefruit tree (because I didn't think to cover it), so I'm just not sure what plants can tolerate or can't.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Iowa gets real cold.

I was in the army at Fort Polk in December way back when. We had a 1" wet snow and the locals freaked. They asked for volunteers among the troops with experience driving in snow. Us northerners each were assigned to a civilian. We drove them home in their car, went back to the post, the next morning we went back to their house and picked them up for work.
I thought it was insane but real easy duty.

 

[campingshaws]

Iowa gets real cold.

I was in the army at Fort Polk in December way back when. We had a 1" wet snow and the locals freaked. They asked for volunteers among the troops with experience driving in snow. Us northerners each were assigned to a civilian. We drove them home in their car, went back to the post, the next morning we went back to their house and picked them up for work.
I thought it was insane but real easy duty.

Haha, exactly. I was lucky enough to spend my late teens in central Kentucky, so I learned how to drive in sleet and snow. It's funny to laugh when they close the town for a light dusting, and I'm just driving around like I own the place. Last year trying to get to my FiL's driveway was a prayerful experience. The ice was thick and clear, like glass. We slid in sideways and pretended it was on purpose.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Stunt driver.