Do Lilies of the Valley Come in Plants Ready to Be Put into the Ground?

Description

• Lily of the valley plants are 3 to 9 inches tall and spread 3 to 6 inches wide, although one cultivar, "Fortin's Giant," grows 1 foot tall or taller. Lily of the valley plants' narrow, dark-green leaves sometimes turn golden in fall, and they may be trimmed to ground level when their color fades. Flowers are the plants' main attraction. The small blossoms grow in spikes on narrow, arching stems. The plants can be dug up in fall, planted in pots and taken indoors, where they will bloom during winter and release their scent.

Requirements

• The plants are simple to grow and perform best in rich, moist, well-drained soil and partial shade. In spring, they benefit from an application of compost. Water them regularly during dry springs and summers. In fall, they can be cut down and mulched with organic compost. Lily of the valley is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 through 7 but may struggle in the heat of zones 6 and 7.

Availability

• Lily of the valley plants that are ready to be put in a garden are available for purchase. Nurseries usually sell them in spring. After buying them, you can plant them right away or wait up to five to seven days as long as you keep them in their packing material, keep them cool but not freezing, keep them moist and keep them out of direct sunlight. Each plant requires a 1-inch-deep planting hole, and the planting holes should be about 6 inches apart. Put each plant's pointed bud, or pip, in its respective hole, and gently spread out the roots. Cover the roots and point buds with soil, pat the soil softly and water the planting site well.

Division

• The best times to divide lily of the valley plants are in spring right after the flowers die and in fall. Dividing a lily of the valley requires gently digging up the plant and separating its pips. Plant the pips 4 inches apart, placing each pip in its own 1-inch-deep hole, and water the site well.