Plant Care

Lily Care Tips

Easter Lily Care Tips After Leaving the Greenhouse

  • Display your plant in bright, but indirect sunlight.
  • Protect your Easter Lily from drafts and heat sources, such as fireplaces, heaters and appliances.
  • Remove the yellow anthers from the flower centers. This helps prolong the life of the blossoms and prevents the pollen on the anthers from staining the flowers, your hands, clothing, tablecloths, rugs and anything else it can find its way to.
  • Cool daytime temperatures in the 60 - 65 degree F. range will prolong the life of the blooms. The temperature can be even cooler at night.
  • Water the your Easter Lily only when the soil becomes dry to the touch and don't leave it dry for an extended period of time.
  • If the lily's pot is in a decorative foil wrapper, be sure water is not accumulating under the pot. More plants die from over watering than under watering.
  • Remove flowers has they fade and wither.

Spring Bedding Plants

  • Sun Annuals

    • If you have a sunny garden, you'll be able to choose from a huge selection of annuals, in all colors, shapes, and sizes. The majority of annuals require full sun, which means they need direct light for at least six to eight hours daily

    Examples: Geraniums, Zonal, Petunia, Portulaca, Snapdragons, Verbena, Zinnias, Cosmos, Dahlias, Calibrachoa, Osteospermum

  • Partial Shade and Full Shade Annuals Impatiens, Pansies and Violas, Fuchsias
  • Full Sun and Partial Shade AnnualsNicotina, bacopa, Ipomea, Assorted Herb plants
  • Full Sun, Partial Shade, and Full Shade Annuals Fibrous Begonias, Wax Begonias
  • Tender Annuals

    • Some annuals, called tender annuals, are killed by frost. They grow in hot weather and are started indoors or in greenhouses and then set out in the garden after the danger of frost passes.

How To Plant

The best time to plant is late in the afternoon. Before planting, water your plants and the soil in your bed well. Remove the plants from their pots gently to disturb the roots as little as possible. If they are in peat pots, tear the pots slightly to make it easy for the roots to grow through. If the roots are compacted, loosen them gently before planting.

Dig a hole slightly larger than the root ball, and set the plant in at the same level at which it was growing. Carefully firm the soil around the roots. Water well after planting and keep moist until the plants are established and new growth has started. Once they are established, addition of a balanced fertilizer will encourage them to bloom.

Fertilizing

Most annuals don't require a lot of fertilizer, but will do much better if adequate nutrients are available. In general, you can fertilize once a week during the growing season. Over fertilizing will cause a build-up of soluble salts in the soil, especially if the soil is heavy, and result in damage to the plants.

Watering

Annuals need about an inch of water a week. If Mother Nature doesn't provide, you will have to help. When you must water, water deeply to encourage deep root growth. Try to keep the foliage dry during watering. If you must use an overhead sprinkler, use it early in the day so the foliage will be dry by nightfall, lessening the chance of disease.