Q: I planted daylilies on a small slope where they get direct sunlight for most of the day, but they haven’t spread in several years. It’s probably due to all the red clay. What should I add to the clay to soften it up?

A: I’ve become a big fan of expanded slate (PermaTill, Soil Perfector, etc) as a soil amendment for beds in which you grow perennial flowers. The material isn’t cheap but adding it, plus a bit of compost, to your soil makes it soft permanently. Ask your local independent nursery to get some for you, then till it in to the daylily bed after temporarily removing the plants. The plants will thank you.