How to Make Easter Lilies Bloom Again
So just exactly what do you do with your Easter lily plant later on Easter?
Can you keep information technology alive every bit a potted plant to blossom again adjacent year? How almost planting it outdoors to grow for the summer? And volition it survive the winter if you exercise? The answer for most climates is a resounding yes – to all of the above!
Easter lilies have go one of the virtually popular spring plants of all. And of grade, are synonymous as the go-to constitute for blooming during the Easter season. But the funny thing is, they are not actually meant to blossom in the early spring at all, but instead, in the center of summertime.
The bulbous plant is actually a hardy perennial in zones 5 (even iv with a bit of actress intendance) and up. And, like many of its lily relatives, is a summer blooming bloom whose blooms usually appear anywhere from belatedly June to July.
How The Easter Lily Came To Exist
How it came to exist a leap-blooming Easter season potted plant is actually a pretty interesting piece of history.
As the story goes, a Earth War I veteran brought a big collection of the bulbs dorsum with him to the Oregon area post-obit the war. In the process, many learned the bulbs could be potted up over the winter months and then forced to bloom early in the spring, merely equally the Easter season rolled around.
The rest, as they say is history, as the Easter lily was born! Greenhouses everywhere began to pot the bulbs upward over the wintertime months. And with each passing year, the plant continues to become more than and more popular as the go-to decoration or gift for the Easter season.
So if you lot are one of the many that now have 1 in your possession, hither is a expect at how to keep your potted institute alive for many years to come up. Inside or outside!
How To Treat An Easter Lily Plant After Easter – Inside Or Outside!
Planting A Lily Outdoors – Preparing A Potted Lily For Outside Life
Lilies are wonderful accent plants for flowerbeds. Their beautiful green foliage and spiked growth brand excellent companion plants for many perennials.
Because potted lilies take been accustomed to the warmth and coziness of the indoors, it's of import to first set up them for outdoor life. Much similar with seedlings, a lily needs to be "hardened off" before planting outdoors.
Begin past removing any decorative wrapper your plant might take. The shiny foil wrappers tin can really keep too much wet in. This can also prevent the plant from getting enough oxygen too.
Adjacent, to help gear up for outdoor life, begin to set your plant outside in a protected expanse on warmer days. Gradually begin to keep the plant outdoors overnight every bit the worry of overnight frost or freeze subsides. Once the threat of frost has passed, it's time to get your plant in the ground.
How To Constitute Your Lily Outdoors
Lilies adopt a sunny location that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight each day. A bit of shade, either in the morning time or evening is more than fine every bit long as the plant receives enough light.
Lily bulbs perform best in food-filled, well-draining soil. Dig a hole downward to a depth of near 8 inches, and meliorate the planting pigsty with enough of compost. Fill the bottom of the pigsty with 2″ of compost and plant the lily downward in the hole and so that the bulb is near half-dozen inches beneath the surface of the soil.
Fertilizing at this indicate is not necessary. Lilies in full general do not need a lot of boosted nutrients. You can in subsequent years employ a bot of all-purpose organic fertilizer to the plant'southward base in the early on spring earlier it blooms, merely it is usually not necessary for the plant to set blooms each year.
What is necessary is mulching the lilies to help insulate the found's roots and keep moisture below the soil. A iii to iv inch layer of mulch effectually the found is more than enough to do the trick.
Water the plant in afterward transplanting, and every few days for the first few weeks to aid the bulb establish in the soil. One time the plant has settled in, it volition rarely if ever need watering. Lilies tend to be extremely drought tolerant, and the Easter lily is non an exception to that rule.
In an outdoor setting, most lilies will grow and bloom to a height of around iii feet. For spacing needs, allow at least 18 inches effectually the found for total growing capacity.
Long Term Care
One of the best aspects of planting your Easter lilies outdoors is the ease of long term care. Much like with the common daylily, they are really quite easy to maintain.
As the found foliage dies dorsum in the fall, cut the foliage back to a few inches above the ground. Information technology is a good idea to re-mulch the base of plants in the early fall to help protect the bulbs over wintertime. This is specially important if you live the cooler winter climates of Zone four.
After a few years of growth, plants can be dug upward and divided into additional plants. This volition not only aid promote healthier growth, but proceed the plants blooming stronger too. Plants tin can be dug upwardly and divided in late summer after they take finished blooming. This will allow enough time for them to re-establish before winter sets in.
Keeping Your Easter Lily Every bit A Potted Establish
You can also, of course, also keep your Easter lily as a potted plant. They are perfect for brightening up porches and patios in the bound and summer, and bringing back indoors for the winter months to add even more than interest. It should be noted that it is a fleck more difficult for indoor plants to bloom each yr.
In one case the plant has completed it's bloom, begin by removing any foil or special roofing. Again, this tin can go on plants from draining properly and getting proper air.
The key to indoor growth is to go on your lily in vivid, indirect lighting. Avoid rooms that are extremely hot or common cold. An indoor lily will abound all-time in temperatures from 65 to 75 degrees. Every bit spring and summer approach, a well-lit porch or patio is perfect for strong, healthy growth.
The biggest concern with potted plants is to be sure the bulb has plenty of soil space to maintain healthy growth. Many plants initially go far in small containers, so replanting may be necessary to go along the plant happy and healthy. Use an all-purpose potting soil that drains for replanting.
Getting Indoor Easter Lilies To Blossom Once again
Every bit for getting your lilies to bloom in time for Easter, information technology is a bit catchy. You will demand to chill your plant in the early months of Jan and Feb to force early blooms. This process starts by placing in a cool room or basement with indirect lighting. Select a room that chills to nigh 55 to 60 degrees, but does not freeze or become almost freezing.
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Side by side, bring the plant back into a warmer room with brighter, indirect lighting. Rooms that warm to about 70 degrees are ideal for attempting to force blooms. It won't always work for potted Easter lilies, simply it certainly gives them their best risk!
Here is to keeping your Easter lily plant alive and well the whole year round – indoors or out! Happy Gardening, Jim and Mary.
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Source: https://oldworldgardenfarms.com/2021/04/04/easter-lily-plant-care/
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