Recycle Your Easter Plants

If you received Easter plants, you’ll be able to plant some of them in the garden to enjoy again next year. Others are best recycled by composting them.
    Replant: Potted tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and crocuses can be planted in the flower garden. Don’t wait until the plants have died back to the ground. As soon as the flower petals have dropped, transplant them by digging a hole 10 to 12 inches deep, place a couple inches of compost in the bottom of the hole and mix with the existing soil. Carefully remove the root-ball from the container, loosen the layer of roots at the bottom of the root ball and place in the hole. The bottom of the root ball should be at least eight inches below the surface of the soil. Blend one-third by volume compost with the soil removed when digging the hole and carefully backfill around the stems. The bottom of the leaves of the plants should be just above the soil line.
    Many forced Easter lilies are not very cold-hardy. Since the frost seldom penetrates more than six inches in Southern Maryland, the bulbs’ lack of cold-hardiness can be solved by planting them 10 to 12 inches deep. Move the plants outdoors as soon as possible and keep them watered. For maximum effect, plant the bulbs in groups spaced 10 inches apart. If you only have one Easter lily, plant it as described above. If you have many (note that your church likely discards its lilies as soon as they have finished blooming), plant them in trenches. Dig a trench six inches wide and 12 inches deep and blend compost into the bottom soil. Carefully remove the plants from their pots and loosen the bottom roots. Space the plants in the trenches and backfill with soil amended with compost. Don’t worry about covering the bottom leaves with soil. What is important is that the bulbs be planted deep enough that the soil protects them from freezing. Your outdoors Easter lilies will flower next year but not in time for Easter.
    Compost: If you received potted hydrangeas, I highly recommend that you add them to the compost pile. The cultivar of hydrangea used in greenhouses does not have cold-hardy flower buds. If planted outdoors, it will produce attractive plants, but unless we have an extremely mild winter, it will not flower. Hydrangeas for outdoor landscaping are different cultivars.


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