Set your plant in place, spreading the roots and placing the crown barely below the soil line – burying the crown too deep is a common mistake and often leads to fatal crown rot.
You may wish to create a small mound of soil then drape the roots over the mound to elevate the crown and prevent it from settling too deeply. Carefully backfill with soil and firm gently over the roots.
Water gently but thoroughly to settle in place.
Hellebores don’t like having their roots disturbed, so repot into larger containers only after they’ve become a bit rootbound, generally, repotting is needed every two to four years.
How to Grow
Hellebores are quite easy to grow if you give them the conditions they prefer.
Exposure
Most Lenten roses do best in a partial shade location.
Some of the more recent cultivars can tolerate more sun than others, but in general a semi-shaded or dappled light location with morning sun is ideal. Hot afternoon sun should be avoided for all types.
While they’re flowering in the cool temperatures of late winter or early spring, you can place your pots and containers in a full sun location near the house, so you can enjoy the blooms.
However, after they’ve finished flowering, you’ll want to move them back into partial shade where they can rest comfortably for the summer months.
Fertilizing
For strong, healthy plants that produce copious amounts of flowers, in addition to soil that’s rich in organic matter these perennials benefit from an annual application of fertilizer.
They can be fed either in the spring after flowers have faded or in early fall when growth has resumed after dormancy.
You can use a two-inch side-dressing of compost in spring after blooming, gently working it into the soil with a handheld garden fork.
Or you can opt for a balanced, slow-release fertilizer and gently scratch the granules into the surface. Make sure you follow the package instructions for the correct amounts to avoid overfertilizing or burning the roots.
You can find Burpee’s Natural Organic All Purpose Granular Plant Food with a balanced 4-4-4 (NPK) formula available at Burpee.
Watering
Hellebores do best in soil that’s evenly moist but not wet, and for container specimens that means providing about one inch of water per week in spring and fall if rainfall is inadequate.
During the summer months if there isn’t enough rain, water new plantings when the top inch of soil is dry to the touch. Plants are dormant during summer’s heat and don’t require as much water as they do in spring and fall.
The foliage may or may not die back during summer dormancy and the soil should be maintained at a moderately dry level, but not allowed to dry out completely.
