Thin out overcrowded day lilies if they fail to bloom

Q. I have a patch of day lilies in my yard. Last year they all bloomed but this year one side of the patch has blooms while the other side has only green leaves. They all receive the same amount of sun. Why are half of the plants not blooming?A. The most common reason for day lilies not blooming is that they are overcrowded. You can divide day lilies anytime after their blooming period. Day lilies are very hardy but they will be less stressed if you wait until the weather is cooler in September to divide them. If you divide them in late summer or early fall they should have time to develop a good root system before winter. To encourage blooming next year remove flowers as they die (deadhead.) Otherwise, the plant will spend its energy developing seedpods rather than strengthening the entire plant. You might also try fertilizing the plants with a balanced (10-10-10) fertilizer in summer or early fall.Q. One of the crops I love to grow in my garden is Swiss chard; I love to stir fry it in olive oil with garlic and pine nuts. Although every year I battle some insect (I suspect earwigs, but I'm not sure) that loves to eat the young sprouts at ground level, in past years I've been able to keep them at bay by using insecticidal soap and diatomaceous earth. Not so this year - I've replanted my Swiss chard crop twice, only to have both plantings decimated. Is it earwigs that are attacking the seedlings, or some other insect? Is there anything else I can do to keep the young seedlings from becoming some insects' meal?A. I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your Swiss chard due to hungry pests. Next time you plant, check very early in the morning and after dark to see if you might spot these critters. Without a description of their appearance, I suspect that your garden has been invaded by flea beetles. These are small (about 0.125 inch or 1 mm long) with a hard body and enlarged hind legs that allow them to jump like fleas when disturbed. Flea beetles are most damaging when plants are young and just becoming established. Adult beetles feed on the leafy portion of the plant, chewing small holes and pits (1/8-inch) into the underside of leaves, leaving a "shot hole" appearance. A small population of flea beetles can stunt or kill a stand of seedlings.Our harsh winters don't seem to phase flea beetles as most appear to pass winter in the adult stage sheltering under plant debris left behind from the growing season. The adults emerge in spring and feed on the first weeds that pop up until crop plants become available. Consequently, they are frequent pests in seed beds and on new transplants. Flea beetles have no natural predators or parasites to help control their populations. However, you may have some success in controlling these pests by using row cover materials over seedlings. These will provide a barrier to adult beetles if they are placed at or before emergence. The covers can be removed once the pest population subsides. You may also be able to control them by using white and yellow sticky traps which can be placed every 15 to 30 feet of row. Another tack may be to use botanical pesticides such as neem, rotenone, pyrethrin or sabadilla. You may find that combining rotenone with insecticidal soap will be effective, as well. Since Swiss chard does well in cooler temperatures, you may be able to try another planting before frost arrives. But if you decide to wait, just be sure to remove any debris and destroy any potential refuge sites as these are favorite places for adult beetles to overwinter.bull; Provided by Mary Boldan, Mary Moisand and Donna Siemro, University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners. Send questions to Ask a Master Gardener, c/o Friendship Park Conservatory, 395 W. Algonquin Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016, (847) 298-3502 or e-mail cookcountymg.com@gmail.com.