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Here’s how to extend the life of your Easter blooms

Even after the Easter Bunny has visited and the last eggs are hunted, Easter plants will bring beauty and color into your home. In fact, you can make the flowers last a lot longer by following some easy steps.
What’s more, after your bulb plants – such as daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, crocus and narcissus – have finished blooming, you can transplant the bulbs into the ground and watch the flowers come up next year.
The key to making the flowers/blooms last longer – perhaps twice as long – is to keep the plants in a cool place, such as at night. This will stall the normal aging process, extending the life of the blooms.
While you’re sleeping, place the plants in your garage or out on your porch (but don’t let them freeze), and then bring them back inside your house in the morning. For smaller plants, such as a single-bloom hyacinth, you might even have room in your refrigerator.
Of course, it’s also important to keep the plants watered.
Once the blooms peak, let the plant die back into itself, nourishing the bulb. Keep the bulb in its pot and store in a cool, dark place. In early fall, separate the bulbs and plant them in your garden in anticipation of their blooming again next spring.

Poinsettia Care Tips for This Christmas and Next!

Tartan Poinsettia
Tartan Poinsettia – A 5+ bloom red poinsettia wrapped with a gold wrap and decorated with gold balls and a plaid bow.

Keeping your poinsettia looking great this Christmas takes two easy steps, but did you know with a few more steps you can have a wonderful poinsettia next Christmas as well?
This Christmas
1. When the surface of the soil is dry to the touch, water the plant.
2. Keep the poinsettia in a room with temperatures between 60 and 72 degrees. Keep the plant out of hot and cold drafts, such as those from a heating vent or open door.
 
Next Christmas
1. When leaves begin to drop, let dry slightly between watering.
2. In late spring (early May) cut back plant to 6 inches, shake free of soil and repot in new potting soil, then resume regular watering. Fertilize with a 30-10-10 fertilizer twice monthly. Stop fertilizing November 1st until December 30th.
3. Place outdoors in a warm sunny location when the temperatures are consistently over 60 degrees.
4. Pinch the tips of new shoots when they reach 6 to 8 inches long until late July. Continue to fertilize every two weeks.
5. Bring indoors before cold nights (early September) and place indoors in full sun. Three to six hours of sunlight is needed.
6. In order for poinsettias to bloom, they must have 14 hours of uninterrupted darkness each day for 40 days (late September through October). Place in a dark place such as a closet or cover with a bag from early evening and remove the next morning so that the plant is in total darkness.
7. When #6 is followed, your poinsettia will bloom at Christmas, but remember, it only takes 10 minutes of light per day during the time it was dark and your plant won’t bloom until January or February.

Foliage Plant And Flower Care Tips

If you’d like even more information on the benefits of houseplants or plant care, take a look at the following resources. Call Royer’s Flowers and Gifts at (717) 769-1413 for your fresh flower needs. We do same day delivery and can help with your long distance delivery needs as well.

4 Tips for Caring for Your East Bulb Plant

For many, the Easter bulb flower, also commonly known as the Easter lily, is the pride of the season. These large, trumpet-shaped white flowers carry a sweet fragrance and are impressive to look at. Caring for your Easter lily is not very difficult. Ask your florist for tips when you purchase your plant, and follow these recommendations:

  1. Water Regularly, But Not Too Much
    The soil of your Easter lily should stay evenly damp at all times, but not sopping wet. Over-watering can be a bigger problem than under-watering, since it puts the plant at risk of developing root rot. Insert a finger about an inch deep into the soil daily. If it is moist, there is no need to water. If it is dry, give water and allow the container to drain thoroughly. Never let plants sit in pooled water.
  2. Provide Light, But Stay Away From Heat 
    Easter lilies prefer bright, indirect sunlight to grow and bloom at their prime. Avoid placing your plant close to heat sources, such as electronic devices or in the path of heating ducts. Temperatures ranging from 65 to 75 degrees are ideal. Avoid placing your flowers directly in windows; choose a table or counter below a window instead.
  3. Give it a Good Grooming
    You can prolong the longevity of your Easter lily’s flowers by removing the pollen pods, called anthers, in the center of each flower. Simply grasp the pods and gently pull them away. Try to catch these before they begin to open to avoid dropping pollen on the petals or staining your fingers.
  4. Save it For Next Year
    Since Easter lilies are bulb plants, they will come back year after year if you plant them outdoors. You’ll be pleased to see your Easter lily popping up just in time for next Easter.

Give us a call at Royer’s Flowers and Gifts at (717) 769-1413 if you’d like to order your Easter lily or any other holiday flowers. We offer plants and fresh flowers for all seasons and occasions, and we can even help you out with gift ideas.