Harvesting the Shoots
Harvest the shoots in early spring. In the early spring the daylily will begin to grow shoots out of the ground. These shoots will grow throughout the season, until the plant begins to flower in the early summer. These small shoots are edible and can be harvested for food.
Measure the shoots. For the best tasting daylily shoots, you should harvest them when they are approximately 8 inches (20 cm) tall or smaller. Measure the shoots from the soil to the top. If they are taller than 8 inches (20 cm) the flavour will be stronger and they will not taste as good.
Cut the shoots just above soil level. Use a pair of clippers to cut the daylily shoots just above the soil level. Once they have been cut the plant will regrow the shoots. Harvesting daylily shoots does not kill or damage the plant. If you don’t have clippers, you can twist the shoots to remove them from the roots.
Wash and store the shoots. Once you have picked the daylily shoots, you should peel back the outer leaves until you reach the tender inner portion. Wash the shoots to remove any dirt or insects that may be found on the leaves and store the in the refrigerator before eating. Shoots will last in the refrigerator for a few days.
Digging Up the Tubers
Dig up a daylily between late fall and early spring. Daylilies also have edible tubers which are located in the root of the plant. Use a small garden shovel to dig up the root of the daylily plant. This can be done any time between late fall and early spring. It is best not to harvest daylily tubers during the summer when the plant is in bloom. This is because the tubers will become mushy in texture and digging them up could damage the plant’s growth.
Cut off the tubers from the root. The root of a daylily consists of spindly roots and tubers that look like small fingerling potatoes. The tubers will range in size from the size of a pea to the size of a large almond. Using garden clippers, cut some of the tubers from the root.
Replant the remaining roots and tubers. Digging up the plant and removing tubers from the roots does not kill the plant. In fact, you can replant the remaining roots and tubers so that the daylily will continue to grow and bloom in the spring. This way you can harvest the same plant for multiple seasons.
Wash and store the tubers. Once you have harvested the tubers, wash and scrub them with warm water to remove any dirt. Store them in a cool and dark place similar to potatoes. The tubers should be firm when you eat them, so make sure you feel the tubers before cooking with them. If they have gone mushy, you should discard them and harvest a new batch.
Picking the Buds and Flowers
Pick buds in early spring. The buds of daylilies are also edible and taste delicious when fried in butter. In the early spring the small green buds can be harvested by pulling them off the plant with your hands or by cutting them with clippers. You can also harvest and eat the buds when they are larger, immediately before they bloom.
Harvest the flowers in summer. In the late spring and early summer the daylilies will begin to bloom. These flowers are edible and can be harvested for food, or used in a floral arrangement. It is important to note that each flower only blooms for 1 day, which is how they got the name daylily. Use your fingers or clippers to harvest the blooming flower.
Clip the wilted flowers. Wilted or day-old flowers are also edible and can be harvested for food. Use your fingers to pull the wilted flowers off the plant. Alternatively, you can use clippers to remove the flower from the plant.
Wash and store the buds and flowers. Once you have picked the buds or flowers, you should wash them with water to remove any dirt or insects that may be found in the petals. Daylily flowers only bloom for 1 day, so you will need to eat them shortly after picking them. You can store the buds in the refrigerator for later use.
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