Tending to your Easter lilies and amaryllis
Q: I have a number of Easter lilies that have multiplied in my flower beds. When would be the ideal time to divide and transplant them? Werner Deterling, Houston
A: Divide your lilies when the plants become overcrowded or the flowers diminish in size. The ideal time to divide is in the fall when the foliage has yellowed.
Q: How do we trim an amaryllis when the flower is dead? Joe Peddy, Houston
A: Cut off the amaryllis flower stem about 2 inches above the bulb. Apply a slow-release fertilizer at this time. The leaves should be well cared for after blooming as they produce the food necessary for subsequent blooming.
Q: Have the hummingbirds already made their spring migration through the
Houston area this year? Mary Walker, Houston
A: I have seen only four or five hummingbirds this spring, including two that visited my purple salvias this week. While I usually see more hummingbirds during the fall migration than the spring, I’ve wondered if there have been even fewer hummingbirds the past month since winter freezes delayed nectar-filled spring blooms.
I asked naturalist Gary Clark for his thoughts. He says:
“Ruby-throated hummingbirds just breeze through town during spring migration because they're in a hurry to get to breeding grounds farther north. We've only seen two or three visit our garden and feeders. Some will remain in the area to breed, and we were lucky the last two years to have one breeding in our yard.
“Autumn is when hummers swirl all around us. Beginning in late July and early August, they'll come back through in huge numbers, peaking in numbers around mid-September, on the way to wintering grounds in Latin America. But they linger here for weeks to fatten up before flying across the Gulf or around it toward winter homes.”