Easter lilies can be planted outdoors, with some caution

Last week, L.L. asked about planting Easter lilies in her new gardens. Here’s a bit more about the requirements for these lovely creatures, Lilium longiflorum, commonly known as Easter lilies. They can be planted out here in this area with a couple of cautions.

First, don’t plant this variety of lily near or with a bunch of other lilies that you have or plan on planting. I couldn’t research why, but the Easter lily can sometimes harbor a virus which could easily spread to more other lily varieties. So, if you plan on planting them, keep them in their own world where no other lilies will be.

Next, I will suggest that you plant them in spaces that won’t get full, hot sun all day, every day. It would probably be too much for them. They prefer good draining soil and if kept too wet, won’t grow well at all.

As the season advances, the stem will ripen and die down this year, but could very easily have regained enough strength that it could grow and rebloom this coming fall. If not, don’t forget where the Easter lily was planted and look for it to reappear in the late spring and bloom for you in midsummer, which is actually its normal blooming time.

As to how deep to plant, dig the receiving hole a wee bit deeper than the depth it’s planted to in its decorative pot now. There is no need to knock off any of the soil, so make the hole wide enough to receive the whole kit and caboodle. It’s better to dig a wider hole and then push the soil back to the plant than trying to squish the potted lily into its new home.

You will want to water the planting, never allowing it to dry out. If the gardening gods are with you, the Easter lily might surprise you with another bloom this fall or come back next year in late spring with another offering of those marvelous flowers. Then again, you might never get rewarded but know that the plant will turn back to the earth, feeding it for something else to grow. It’s all a win-win in my view.

Q: I started some tomato plants by seed indoors and they have grown really well for me. They are about 12 inches tall now. I’m thinking it’s too early to set them out in the containers I plan to grow them in, but they are getting too tall. Help! —G.T., Albuquerque

A: Two thoughts come to mind for your tomatoes.

First get deeper pots and transplant them as deep as you can into a deeper pot. You say the plants are now 12 inches tall, so aim to find a pot 6 inches taller than the one they are in now. Pinch off a set of the first leaves the plants grew, let the plants sit overnight so the pinched spots seal or scab. Then plant the tomatoes into the new, clean pots with the same type of soil you have them growing in now.

I will suggest you consider dusting the trunk of the tomato with rooting powder to encourage it to throw out even more healthy roots for you. Then, in a couple of weeks, weather dependent, you can transplant that more controlled tomato into its summer home.

Or you can look for a garden helper called a Wall O’ Water. This tool is a tall plastic cylinder made of tubes that you fill with water, making a sort of teepee looking contraption. I’ve always used a small tomato cage as an internal frame to help the Wall O’ Water stand up, especially during the initial set-up process. It helps keep things neater.

Before you set up the Wall O’ Water, plant your tomato as deep as you can, with all of its foliage just above ground level. Place the small tomato cage around the plant and then, slide the Wall O’ Water over the cage for support. Fill the tubes with water, and you have offered a very cozy place for the tomatoes, all the while offering them protection from any really cold temperatures.

Here’s a trick too, at dusk, pull just the tops of the tubes closed and secure them shut with a clothes pin or two to help keep the captured heat inside the teepee. Just remember to unpin in the morning for fresh air. The Wall O’ Water is a great tool to employ in your garden to get your seedlings out this early.

Good luck and Happy Diggin’ In!

Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send garden-related questions to Digging In, Albuquerque Journal, 7777 Jefferson St. NE, Albuquerque, N.M. 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.