Easter Lilies after Easter
Can they go outside? Can I plant them in my garden?
Sure!
Like any other bulbs, there are two options if you plant your leftover Easter bulbs outdoors- either they will live and flower for many years (it is perfectly hardy into zone 4) or they will immediately die. If you don't plant the bulb, it will definitely die.
So you have nothing to lose by planting.
How to plant
Once the Easter lily bloom has faded in the house, cut the stem back as far as you can.
Grow the plant in a sunny windowsill, keeping it moist (not sopping) and feed weekly with a balanced houseplant food (something like 10-10-10). And, after all danger of frost has passed, you can plant it outdoors.
When frost is over, start by digging a hole large enough for the bulb plus another six or eight inches wide. Add a shovel of compost and a shovel of peat moss to the soil from the planting hole and ensure the soil at the bottom of the hole is well loosened.
Make the hole big enough
Remember it is necessary to dig a large enough hole to spread the lily roots out and to ensure it is at least eighteen inches from another plant. Place the bulb in the bottom of the planting hole and backfill the soil up to the neck of the bulb – do not cover the green leaves. The neck of the bulb (where the green leaves come out of the bulb) should be approximately three to five inches below the surface of the soil.
Covering the green leaves at this time could rot them. Do not put fertilizer down the hole as it will burn the tender bulb roots!
Wait until the leaves have turned yellow and faded before totally filling in the hole. Yes, that means the bulb will grow in a bit of a trough until the foliage all turns yellow.
After you've planted the bulb, water it thoroughly. Carefully water and turn the area into a mudhole so no air spaces are left around the bulb. The original foliage may die back immediately after planting. If this happens, cut the foliage right back to the bulb and then backfill the hole. Do not be surprised to see a new set of leaves emerge from the hole. Water thoroughly after backfilling.
The key to success with Easter lilies
The key to success with growing Easter lilies is to give the tops full sun but to shade the roots. Hot tops and cold feet would describe this growing condition.
Also, excellent drainage is essential for bulb success. Poor drainage or clay soils will rot the bulb over winter because of excessive moisture.
Remember the normal time for the lily to bloom is mid-summer. The first planting year you may see a bloom in mid-summer but the likelihood is that the bulb will wait for next year to bloom again. Your job is to grow the bulb. Do not cut off leaves until they are well faded and quite yellow.
Do not pin them up so other plants can grow next to the lily. You want those leaves to stretch out and absorb as much sunlight as possible because they are feeding the bulb and making next year's flower bud.
Click here to ask about easter lilies.
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