Bringing home a lily from an Easter service? Lee Rose-Alexander, a past president of Hancock County Master Gardeners Association, offers these tips to care for it (and reminds that the perennial is toxic to cats).
1. When you take it from the church, you may need to cover the exposed plant if it is below 50 degrees. At home, place it in a well-lighted place, but away from direct sunlight, heat or drafts.
2. Remove the anthers (the stalks with the little powdery cushions on them at the center of the flower) to prolong the bloom and avoid getting the pollen on the pretty white flower.
3. Water when the soil is dry but never to the point of being soggy.
4. Lilies like it cool: 60-65 degrees in the day and 55-60 degrees at night.
5. Wait until it has finished blooming and there is not chance of frost to plant it outside.
6. Choose a spot with bright light. Too much direct sun could burn the leaves. Make sure the soil drains well. Soil that holds too much water can rot the bulb.
7. Plant with the top of the bulb 6 inches below the top of the soil.
It might flower again if you’ve been deadheading it regularly.
Have a different garden question? You can “Ask a Master Gardener” online at hancockmga.com/ask-a-master-gardener/.
