Lilies of the field
Your Easter lilies will do well outside, provided you follow a few simple steps when transplanting them
QMy children gave me an Easter lily and now the flowers are nearly finished. Will I be able to plant this outdoors and, if so, when? — G.M., West Side
A: You sure can plant your lily out in your gardens and it should continue to grow for years to come. I do have a couple of suggestions so your lily stays happy.
First, as all the blooms finish cut then off of the mother plant. The flower is supported on the major leaf bearing “trunk” by a short stem. Your goal when snipping off the blooms is to remove that entire short stem without cutting into the trunk — make sense? I hope so!
Next, decide where in your gardens you’re going to plant. I would remind you that this perennial variety of lily can grow quite tall so aim to plant where it’ll receive a bit of protection from our sometimes wicked winds. And since it can grow tall, you don’t want it in the forefront of the garden hiding other shorter growing plants. This plant can take quite a bit of sun planted out, but if you would offer it a spot that has more of a dappled light, especially during the heat of the day, your lily would be happiest.
Now that you’ve picked the perfect spot, the blooms for this round are spent and have been properly removed, it’s time to dig in.
First, the night before you’re going to transplant make sure you water the lily. You defiantly want the soil supporting the plant damp so it doesn’t fall away when it’s de-potted. Now, the hole you’re going to dig needs to be twice as wide as the pot holding the lily but just as deep. Remember, deeper is not better. If your garden soil is well worked you might not have to add any soil conditioners, but on the other hand, if the soil is fairly virgin, do consider adding amendments. Mix at a ratio of half New Mexico soil and half finely milled compost and a smidgen of peat moss. That would make a good fertile home for the lily. Pop the plant, soil and all, out of the pot and place it in its new home. Firmly tamp the soil removed from the hole to surround the lily aiming to keep the lily at the same planted depth it was in the pot. You can scooch a bit of extra soil to cover the potted soil, just don’t bury the whole kit and caboodle too deeply.
Then, offer a good slow drink of water to settle the area, and there you have it. You’ll want to water, perhaps twice a week so this perennial lily settles into its new home, but since it’s a pretty sturdy creature, it’ll figure it out quickly. As this growing season advances, the plant will fade and by mid-July look rather done for. You’ll want to snip the mother plant close to the ground and dispose of that part. Just know that next spring the lily should pop back up and offer those marvelously scented bright white blooms in your garden. Enjoy!
Q: The small forsythia plant and three lilac bushes I have growing are finished flowering for this year. Now I know there is a rhyme, so I can remember when to prune what, but I can’t for the life of me remember it. Help! — N.P., Albuquerque
A: That’s easy! This simple four-word rhyme is all you need to remember when it comes to tending blooming shrubs: “prune after the bloom.” Well, sort of a rhyme. Anyway, now is the time when you want to give all of your early spring blooming shrubs a haircut. The shrubs that bloom later in the summer, no! Don’t touch them yet. Size depending, you can take off about a third of the shrub without causing any harm. Just be sure to leave several sets of true leaves on the stems and branches below where you aim to cut so the plants are able to feed themselves, grow and set their bloom for next year. That’s it. Just remember to “prune after the bloom” and you’ll keep your bloomers happy and healthy. Happy Digging In. Need tips on growing your garden? Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send your garden-related questions to Digging In, Rio West, P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, NM 87103.