How to Transplant Lisianthus Outside

Prepare Your Lisianthus

• 1

  Snip any blooming flowers with the scissors, as they will not survive the transplant process. Also remove any dead or yellowing leaves.

• 2

  Drench the soil by filling the bucket with water until the water level is higher than the edge of the lisianthus pot and submerging the lisianthus pot under water.

• 3

  Tip the pot from side to side until air bubbles stop rising to the surface. Turn the pot on its side and squeeze it, if it is plastic, or tap it, if it is terra cotta, to loosen the root ball from the pot on all sides. Slowly slide the root ball from the pot and place it upright on a sheet of wet newspaper until you are ready to plant it in the planting hole.

Prepare the Site and Plant

• 4

  Look for a new location for your lisianthus that gets at least four hours of direct sun per day but does not get too hot. Lisianthus can take average temperatures as high as 88 degrees Fahrenheit.

• 5

  Test your soil with a test kit available at most garden centers, and add lime if the pH falls below 6.5. Lisianthus grown in lower pH than 6.5 will not respond to fertilizer.

• 6

  Dig a hole, at the planting site approximately 2 inches wider in diameter and 2 inches deeper than the original pot. Mix a handful of peat moss, compost or other organic matter with the soil you removed from the hole. Drench the hole with water.

• 7

  Place the bottom of the wet lisianthus root ball on the bottom of the planting hole after the water level subsides. If necessary, add more soil beneath the lisianthus so the soil level at the base of the plant is even with the soil level of the surrounding planting bed. Backfill the hole with the soil mixture, and press down on the soil to eliminate air pockets.

• 8

  Water the planting area thoroughly.