Have you ever looked at your Easter lilies and wished you could do something to help them keep blooming? They generally only last for two weeks indoors, and it’s such a shame that they start withering so soon.
If you’re head over heels in love with these gorgeous flowers and wondering, “Can you plant Easter lilies outside,” I’ve got news for you! You can experience the beauty of Easter lilies long after those two weeks if you plant them in your garden!
Keep reading to find out all you need to know about how to plant Easter lilies outside!
Contents
Planting Easter Lilies The Correct Way
Easter lilies are rather delicate flowers and require careful consideration when planting in order to get it right and ultimately see them flourish so you can enjoy their beauty for more than just two weeks.
They’re not just good to look at, but they’re also really great to use for decorating and making wreaths!
How To Prep Your Easter Lilies For Outdoor Planting
Prepping your Easter lilies for outdoor planting should ideally begin when they’re still indoors. You need to pay careful attention to where they’re placed, whether they receive enough sunlight and whether the temperature isn’t too hot or too cold.
While indoors, keep your Easter lilies near a bright window, but not direct sunlight.
The ideal temperature range for these plants is 65 and 75 degrees F. When watering them, keep in mind that you just need to get the soil lightly moist and not too wet. To help them out a little bit more, you can use liquid fertilizer around every 2 weeks.
As your Easter lilies start to fade, you will need to trim back the flowers. You can do this by clipping each flower stem near the base. Be careful not to touch the foliage, as this needs to stay intact for the plant to grow well outdoors. You’ll know it’s ready to be planted outside when all the blossoms fade.
If you’d prefer to keep them indoors, you could keep your Easter lilies healthy if you care for it properly. A key consideration here is that indoor temperatures are fairly constant as opposed to outdoor weather conditions and this tends to make it difficult for them to rebloom indoors. To keep them thriving indoors, you will need to provide them with a winter chilling period.
Where Should You Plant Easter Lilies?
Finding the perfect spot to plant your Easter lilies is just as important as following the right steps when planting them. The location in which you plant them will determine whether they receive enough or too little sunlight and good drainage for adequate water consumption.
Choose a spot in your garden that receives morning sun and afternoon shade to get that perfect balance for your Easter lily plant to thrive.
If the soil in your garden doesn’t allow for proper drainage, you can try mixing in sand and compost or peat moss. Alternatively, you could plant your Easter lilies in containers.
The type of soil in your garden is also a factor to consider, but Easter lilies thrive in most soils so it shouldn’t be much of a problem. The only type of soil that’s a major no-no for Easter lilies is clay.
Easter lilies can grow up to 3 feet high, so make sure that the spot you choose will give your plants the space they need to grow to their full potential without any obstacles.
How To Plant Easter Lilies Outdoors – Step By Step
First, you will need to dig a hole in the spot where you’ve chosen to plant your Easter lilies. Make sure that it’s wide and deep enough to spread the plant’s roots and cover them as well as the bulb with about 3 inches of soil.
Next, place the plant into the hole and cover the roots and bulb with soil. Squeeze out any air pockets that may have developed in the soil around the plant and lightly water.
If you’re planting multiple plants, make sure you space them out adequately to give them room to grow. Ideally, they should be 12-18 inches apart from each other.
LSU AgCenter explains how to plant Easter lilies outdoors in great detail in this video:
Caring For Your Easter Lilies After Planting
After you’ve planted your Easter lilies, keep an eye on the foliage, which will grow throughout the summer and fall. It will eventually start drying out and turning brown. At this stage, you will need to start cutting off the dry bits.
After the dry foliage is removed, add mulch over the top of the soil covering the Easter lily bulbs as it will help protect them from any harsh weather conditions.
When watering your Easter lilies, bear in mind that they love extra water, but they won’t thrive in soggy soil, so always try to maintain a balance.
Your Easter lilies should begin to show new growth in the spring, so you can remove the mulch at this stage. You should expect new plant growth to emerge around Easter time, but they’re naturally summer blooming flowers, so they will most likely only bloom in late May. In winter, they’re known to thrive well in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 7 and higher
FAQs
Are Easter Lilies An Indoor Or Outdoor Plant?
Easter lilies can be planted indoors and outdoors. However, they are typically enjoyed indoors at first, until the flowers have withered, before being planted outside. They should only be planted outside if there isn’t any risk of frost damage.
Can You Plant A Potted Easter Lily Outside?
You can plant a potted Easter lily outside. The main consideration when planting an Easter lily outdoors is you have to make sure it doesn’t freeze in winter. However, keeping them in containers makes it easier to bring them indoors in inclement weather.
Do Easter Lilies Come Back If You Plant Them?
Easter lilies do come back if you plant them outdoors. It’s difficult to get them to rebloom if they remain indoors, but once outside, they will rebloom every year.
When Can You Plant Easter Lilies Outside?
You can plant Easter lilies outside as soon as all of their blooms have withered and you’ve trimmed off the flowers.
Can Easter Lilies Survive Winter?
Easter lilies can survive winter. However, this is only for plants in pots outdoors in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7 and higher. If you reside in a colder region, you will need to move the plant indoors with its container once the temperature dips.
So, Can You Plant Easter Lilies Outside? 100% Yes!
Easter lilies are exquisite flowers and it would be a shame to only be able to enjoy their beauty for 2 weeks. Now that you know how to plant and take care of them outdoors, get ready to watch them bloom every year!
Next year, you can even use your own lilies for outdoor Easter decor, thematic front door decor, for the porch, and even for Easter tree ideas presented in this post.
I hope this helped you figure out the answer to “Can you plant Easter lilies outside.” If you have any questions or feedback, please do let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
