Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Gandy have recently purchased their 2nd Turner Greenhouse! Yes it is not uncommon for Turner customers to come back again and again.
In the early 1980's the Gandy's lived in Cherry Point, NC and purchased a Brightleaf 14' fiberglass greenhouse.
After relocating to Jacksonville, FL not too long ago they decided to purchase another Turner Brightleaf 14' fiberglass greenhouse.

The Gandy's beautiful backyard is nice and serene. Brightleaf 14' fiberglass almost finished! Mr. Gandy has his greenhouse beautifully laid out with homemade benches, hanging plants and succulents.

Easter is early this year, daylight savings is here and soon in the South the tree pollen is not far behind. (That means us, yik!) This session let's dish on Easter Lilies and some seed tips:

Easter Lilies are usually planted in November and December. Forcing bulbs usually takes 120 days depending on the variation. Controlling the temperature in your greenhouse can help speed or retard growth for an Easter Bloom.

Pots should provide a few inches for stem roots. Also fertilizing the bulbs after planting should be done. Easter Lilies require medium to high light and always keep the planting medium moist. Do not let the medium go dry, keep it moist so that they flower uniformly. Water with tepid water.

A key to timing for Easter bloom is to count the leaves. When the leaves start to unfold, you can calculate how many have to unfold until the bud is visible. By counting the leaves which actually unfolded the previous days, you can determine if the crop is slow or fast. You can change the temperature accordingly. The lilies do not respond any faster to temperatures above 70 degrees.

From the first Sunday in Lent to Palm Sunday the bulb is usually in the "puffy white stage". This is when the bulb goes from visible buds to the appearance of the flower. The flowers should be in full bloom by Palm Sunday.

The Easter Lily likes strong light but not direct light and should be kept moist. Do not let the plant sit in a saucer of water.

Seed Tips....Buying your seeds are fine if bought from your local home or garden center but The Greenhouse Gardener's Companion recommends mail ordering seeds. The seed is usually fresher and comes from proper storage conditions.

Mail order catalogs also give detailed descriptions of the varieties they offer. And the varieties are much more extensive than a local store.

If your seeds have been around a couple of years, they will probably have a slower germination rate so write the date on the packet as soon as you buy them. This will help you determine which ones to plant first.

By all means experiment! I mail-ordered seeds from a reputable seed company last year and also purchased seeds locally at my home supply store. The ones I purchased locally did waaaaaayyyy better. Why? Good question! Everything is trial and error with me in the greenhouse so I chalk it all up to learning experience.