Beginning this week with Thanksgiving, many of you will purchase or receive gifts of holiday plants – poinsettias, Christmas cactus, Amaryllis, Cyclamen, Kalanchoe to name a few. Here are a few tips to help you keep these beauties looking their best throughout the season and longer.
First of all, keep them away from heat sources. Sure, a poinsettia looks lovely on your hearth, but the overly warm, dry air will take its toll. Don’t set plants on top of TV sets, or too near to heat vents.
Moisture is an issue also. Winter air inside most homes is too dry for most plants. Fill a shallow tray with pebbles and water, and set your plants on top. Grouping plants together will help them conserve moisture as well.
Don’t over water your holiday plants. Wait until the soil is dry and then give them a good soak. I have found you cannot trust those pretty foil wrappers. Either they hold water, and cause root rot, or they leak all over the floor or table. It’s best to remove it, or cut a big hole in the bottom for drainage, and set the pot in a tray.
Many of our holiday plants have specific requirements for re-blooming, so if you want to keep yours until next holiday season, you’ll need to find out exactly what it needs next summer and fall to bloom again. But for now, with a little TLC, you’ll enjoy your holiday plants for weeks and months to come.
Write and tell us about your favorite holiday plant. Do you have one you’ve kept from year to year?
