Updated at: 28-04-2022 - By: Sienna Lewis

It’s a common belief that the Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum) is a sign of hope and purity at this season. As potted plants, they can be given as gifts or used as decorations for the holidays. In spite of their short lifespan indoors, Easter lilies can be kept for a considerable amount of time if planted outside once their blooms have faded. Planting and caring for Easter lilies in the garden is an important topic.

How to Plant Easter Lily After Blooming

It’s considerably easier to move an Easter lily into the garden if you take excellent care of it while it’s indoors. Keep the plant away from the sun’s direct rays, but near a bright window. As long as the temperature isn’t too hot, you can cultivate Easter lilies. Using a liquid houseplant fertilizer every two weeks, water the plant frequently enough to keep the soil slightly damp.

When a blossom has done blooming, cut the stem close to the base. It’s time to transplant Easter lilies outside when all of the flowers have faded. Except for hard clay, the plants may grow in any type of soil. Compost or peat moss can be used to improve soils that drain slowly. Take advantage of full or morning light and afternoon shade by selecting a spot. If you’re planning on growing Easter lilies outside, keep in mind that the plants can grow up to 3 feet (1 m.) tall.

The planting hole should be broad enough to allow the roots to grow out and deep enough to cover the bulb with 3 inches of dirt after the plant is in place. A hole should be dug in the ground, then the roots and bulbs of the plant should be covered with soil. Press with your hands to remove air pockets and then slowly and thoroughly saturate your body with water. Add more dirt if the soil settles and creates a hole around the plant. Make sure the Easter lilies are at least 12 to 18 inches apart.

A few Easter lily care and planting guidelines to help you get your plants off to a good start: When the soil around the roots of Easter lilies is shaded, they do best. For example, mulching the lily, or putting shallow-rooted plants around it, will keep the soil cool and moist. Remove all of the plant’s foliage to a height of 3 inches above the soil when it begins to die back naturally in the fall. Protect the bulb from freezing temperatures by covering it with a thick layer of organic mulch in the winter. Use a full fertilizer when new shoots appear in the springtime. Plants should be kept at least 2 inches (5 cm.) away from the mulch.

How to Plant, Transplant, and Grow Easter Lilies - Dengarden

How to Save an Easter Lily

The symbolic symbolism of flowers has been the subject of numerous works of literature. Early spring offerings at your local greenhouse are likely to contain a display of white trumpet-like Easter lilies, a symbol of the season or celebration. You can grow Lilium longiflorum as a showpiece in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 8, but it won’t bloom in time for Easter celebrations. The aromatic blossoms don’t appear until the middle of summer in northern latitudes.

Easter lilies, like Christmas poinsettias, are “pushed” into bloom. Growers utilize this method to meet consumer demand by manipulating their plants’ surroundings.

Easter lilies have come to signify Easter in great part because of their brilliant white blossoms, which indicate purity in the language of flowers. Bermuda, a popular nursery producing locale, was the first place this plant made its way from Japan (the Ryukyu Islands). It wasn’t until much later that the Easter flower became associated with that holiday in the Western Hemisphere that it was known as the “Bermuda lily” there.

Planting Easter Lilies Outside

It is possible to grow Easter lilies in your own backyard if you buy them in bulk or offer them as gifts in a potted form. In those areas where it is hardy, it will return year after year. Before planting your lily in the garden, make sure to wait until the risk of frost has passed. A progressive hardening off will also benefit the plant. To help the plant adjust to the new temperature, you can gradually increase the amount of time the pot spends outside over a period of days.

Gardeners who follow these guidelines may see their plants thrive for several years before needing to supplement their soils with a bulb fertilizer or all-purpose fertilizer (proper fertilizing may, however, extend the life of your plant).

It’s best to choose a location that gets full sunlight. Replant your Easter lily in the ground at the same depth as when it was in the pot, water it thoroughly, and mulch it with three inches of soil. Mulching is more than just a weed-control measure in this instance. For this plant, mulch is a great way to keep its roots cool throughout the hottest months of the year. The bulb should be 6 inches deep in the ground for best results. Make sure there is enough space between your plants if you are growing more than one (1-2 feet). It’s important to try to keep the soil as equally moist as possible.

Summer’s sweltering temperatures will take their toll, but don’t worry: browning leaves are quite normal. At this time, some gardeners will cut the plant all the way down to the ground (or as close as possible) in order to encourage fresh growth later in the season. There are a few people who defy conventional wisdom here and do nothing when the foliage turns brown—not because they are mavericks, but because they are attempting to save themselves time and effort. Additionally, many gardeners fail to mulch the plant to help it survive the winter (it is truly a good idea to mulch in locations subjected to harsh winters; make sure to remove the mulch in spring). Their Easter lilies often come back the following year, grow to a height of around 3 feet, and produce many blooms in July despite this lack of care.

If you wish to divide long-established bulbs, do so in late summer or fall (after the foliage has browned). Such division can rejuvenate old plants. Even after the leaves have turned brown, do not forget that a bulb is left behind, underground. This bulb does not like to dry out, so continue to keep the soil evenly moist (not wet, but not dry).

Lilies: How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Lily Flowers | The Old Farmer's Almanac

Fighting Pests

During late summer or fall, it is best to divide well-established bulbs (after the foliage has browned). Old plants can be revitalized through such division. After the leaves have turned brown, do not forget that a bulb is still present, hidden beneath the earth. Keep the soil evenly moist; this bulb does not like to dry out (not wet, but not dry).

To divide established bulbs, wait until late summer or early fall (after the foliage has browned). Old plants can be revitalized by division. Even after the leaves have turned brown, do not forget that a bulb is still in the ground. Keep the soil evenly moist, as this bulb dislikes it when it gets dry (not wet, but not dry).

KEEP YOUR EASTER LILIES

Don’t get rid of your Easter lilies this year. Plant them outside instead. Leave the foliage untouched but the flowers trimmed back as they fade. Plant the bulb six inches deep as soon as the weather is clear and the ground is workable. Select a place with good drainage and at least half-day sun exposure. If your soil isn’t naturally draining, P. Allen Smith Garden Home recommends adding sand and compost to it. Containers can even be used to grow lilies if you keep them from freezing over in the winter. Keep the containers in a place that isn’t going to freeze but isn’t going to overheat. During their winter dormancy, lilies require plenty of down time.

CARE

Once the plant has been planted, it should be allowed to grow its foliage all summer and into the fall. The foliage should be taken off when it becomes brown and dries out. After removing the foliage, pile mulch on top of the bulb to help shield it from the elements. When new growth appears in the spring, remove the mulch. Even while Easter lilies prefer a moist atmosphere, they will tolerate a moderate amount of watering. You should give your plant plenty of additional water if the weather is hot and dry throughout the summer months. Green Circle Growers recommends using a 5-10-10 fertilizer when the plant is around three inches tall in the spring. In addition, crushed eggshells are recommended as a deterrent to slugs and snails.

How To Care For Your Easter Lily - Farmers' Almanac

SUMMER BLOOMING

If your plant emerges just in time for Easter but has yet to produce a bloom, don’t be alarmed. When it comes to lilies, Easter isn’t one of them. In order to ensure that the plants purchased in flower shops bloom in time for Easter, they are kept in greenhouses. It is natural for Easter flowers to bloom later in May if they are cultivated outside in the spring.

REPLANTING

Your Easter lily bulbs will expand each year if you take care of your plants. In the spring, before the bulbs begin to bloom, you can remove them and replant them, or you can give them away in the fall after they have died back. Instead of tossing away your Easter lily, consider planting it in the ground. These long-lived plants require minimal attention and will thrive for many years to come. Easter lilies: Have you ever grown them in the garden?