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Easter Lily (Lilium longiforum)
Easter lilies can last several weeks if purchased with small buds. They should be placed in moderate light and the soil kept moist. Blooms will last longer if kept in cool temperatures and if the yellow anthers are removed from the flower’s center.
Easter lilies can be discarded after the blooms fade, or they can be saved and planted in the garden. To keep the plant growing, remove all withered flowers, place in a sunny location, and keep the soil moderately moist. The plant may go dormant at this time, evident by yellowing and dying leaves. If this occurs, keep the plant on the dry side to discourage root rot. As soon as the danger of frost is past, select a sunny garden spot, knock the root ball and bulb out of the pot, break up the root mass slightly, and plant it a few inches deeper than it was in the pot.
Saving Forced Bulbs
If you received potted spring-flowering bulbs, such as daffodils and tulips as winter gifts, you may want to plant them in the garden. However, don’t be impatient as it often takes two to three years for bulbs to rebloom after they have been "forced" for indoor use.
Start by keeping the plants actively growing until the leaves mature and die back naturally. To prevent seeds from forming, remove the flowers after they bloom. Place the potted plants in a cool, very sunny location and keep the soil moist to the touch. Fertilize with a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer according to label directions. The longer the leaves stay green and healthy, the larger the bulb will become. This improves its chances for blooming the following year. When leaves dry, store the bulbs in a dark, cool place until fall planting time. Because few homes have a good storage place, it may be better to directly plant the bulbs outdoors. If the leaves have died back, plant bulbs outdoors when the soil is workable. If the leaves have not died back, wait until after the last frost to plant the bulbs with their leaves attached. Discard any bulbs that have become soft or diseased.
Care for the bulbs outdoors as you would other spring bulbs. With luck, they'll bloom again -- eventually.
Moving Houseplants Outdoors
You can improve the vigor of houseplants by moving them outdoors for the summer, but it's best to wait until night temperatures are above 50 degrees and all danger of frost has passed. Harden off plants by placing them in a shaded area for a few days and gradually expose them to longer periods of sun. Provide protection from wind by using screens of burlap, shingles or other material.
Plants such as jade, poinsettia, asparagus fern, cactus and hibiscus can take full sun once they are hardened-off.
Christmas cactus, azalea, umbrella tree, weeping fig and citrus prefer shade.
Fertilize houseplants on a regular basis and carefully monitor the pots for moisture. During hot spells, you may need to water pots daily. Sink small, potted houseplants directly into the garden to help keep roots cool and moist. Protect plants with plastic buckets if hail threatens.
In the fall, before danger of frost, trim off damaged or leggy growth and give plants one last light fertilization. Examine foliage and soil for signs of insects before you bring plants indoors. If an insecticide is necessary, read the label carefully and follow instructions. Also check the drainage holes on pots for slugs or pillbugs, which you can remove manually.
For additional information you may call the Larimer County Cooperative
Extension Office at (970) 498-6000 and request a brochure for PlantTalk
Colorado’s automated phone messages on houseplants and other gardening
subjects.
Q: I planted an asparagus patch from roots this year. Can I expect to harvest spears this summer? How will I know when to cut them?
A: Allow asparagus plants a year to get established. Plan on harvesting next year. Pick asparagus when stems reach eight inches tall with tips still tightly compressed. Bend the stem until it snaps rather than using a knife which can damage immature shoots.
Q: My lawn is dry and dusty looking on the southwest side of my house. The grass is not thriving. What could be the problem?
A: It could be a spider mite infestation. Try extra watering before resorting to chemicals. If necessary, use Dursban or Diazinon to prevent further damage but always read the label thoroughly before applying.
Q: The bark of my elm tree is black. What could be the problem?
A: Patches of black on the bark of many elms is caused by a fungus known
as sooty mold. This fungus grows on honeydew produced by an insect
known as the European elm scale. The elm scale infests twigs
and branches of elms where it feeds on plant juices. The honeydew
produced by elm scale and other aphids and scales is a sweet, sticky material
that provides a media for sooty molds. Sooty mold on bark surface
is not damaging to trees but if it should appear on foliage, it can interfere
with photosynthesis and weaken the tree. Feeding by elm scale can
cause death of small twigs and branches but it rarely kills large trees.
Unfortunately, the branch killing caused by the elm scale looks exactly
like the early stages of Dutch elm disease, a very serious tree killing
disease of elms.
If areas of your lawn are uneven from frost heaving or rodents tunneling, add topsoil. Rolling the lawn just compacts our already heavy clay soils. Adding topsoil will level the yard surface and help reduce thatch.
Remove mulches from around perennials and roses gradually. Mulch protection helps the plants survive our alternate freezing and thawing weather.
Plant seeds of Bachelor's button, Calendula, California poppy, Cosmos, Gaillardia, Gomphrena, Marigold, Morning glory, Nastursium, Strawflower, Sweet Alyssum and Zinnia about two weeks before the average frost-free date.
The author has received training through Colorado State University Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener program and is a Master Gardener volunteer for Larimer County.
Fact Sheets are available at the Larimer County Extension Office, 1525 Blue Spruce Drive, Fort Collins, Colorado, telephone (970) 498-6000, or contact us by e-mail at larimer@coop.ext.colostate.edu
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