Care for Easter Lilies
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Taking care of Easter lilies gives amateur gardeners the rare treat of enjoying two rounds of flowering in one year. Growers force white lily bulbs to bloom in time for Easter. With proper care, they can be transplanted outdoors to adorn your summer flowerbeds.
Taking Care of Easter Lilies
Choose an Easter lily with flowers at every state of development, from tightly closed buds to full blooms. This ensures that the plant is healthy and that more flowers are to be expected.
Remove the yellow anthers from each flower as it blooms. This will make the flower stay in bloom longer.
Snip withered flowers away to keep the plant looking fresh and so you can enjoy the new blooms.
Keep your Easter lily in a cool room, 60 to 65 F. A sunny room is good, but direct sunlight can scorch the plant. Indirect light is best.
Water only when the soil dries out.Sometimes the decorative packaging that Easter lilies come wrapped in can trap moisture in the soil. Be sure that your pot is well-drained.
Replanting Easter Lilies
Place your Easter Lily in a sunny window once the last flower has died. Continue to water the soil when it dries out.
Fertilize with a teaspoon of slow-release Osmocote every six weeks.
Move the plant outside after the danger of frost has passed.
Choose an area that drains well. A raised bed works well for planting Easter lilies.
Dig a hole 3 inches below ground level and place the bulb inside. Spread the roots outward and gently pack your soil in around the bulb, leaving no air pockets. Cover with 3 to 4 inches of soil and space each plant 12 to 18 inches apart. Water immediately.
Reblooming Easter Lilies
Cut off the foliage as soon as it dies away. New growth will sprout up to take its place.
Expect to see lilies blooming in June and July, depending upon your gardening zone.
Cut away the foliage after it dies away in the fall to protect the plant from rotting. If you expect freezing temperatures, dig up the bulbs or prepare them for winter by covering with 3 to 4 inches of straw.
About this Author
Lisa Russell has been a freelance writer since 1998. She's been published in "Rethinking Everything Magazine," "Playdate" and "Home Educator's Family Times." She has a professional background in education, cosmetology and the restaurant industry. Russell studied early childhood education at Antelope Valley College, and is pursuing a degree in law.