Did you get some blossoms
for Christmas? These growing gifts will extend the holiday
season until early spring. And don't worry, almost anyone
can make them grow.
Poinsettias are the most popular holiday flower. The funny
part is, the big red petals attract most people, but those
aren't the blooms, they are actually leaves, called bracts.
The blooms are the little yellow or red buttons, called
petioles, in the center of the colorful leaves.
The plants like to be in a warm room between 60 to 70 degrees
and out of drafts. They can become a bit chilly if their
leaves touch a cold window. They should be evenly moist,
not too wet and not too dry. Your poinsettia will start
to drop its leaves if it gets too much of a good thing.
By February, the flower in the center of the plant will
start to grow up and out. The plant is getting ready to
be cut back. Get your scissors out in March. You can cut
the stems down to six inches long. More leaves will start
to sprout right where it has been pruned. Keep two to three
leaves on each stem so the plant can collect light and feed
itself. Leave it in a sunny window in your house and fertilize
it every two weeks.
My mom and I share Christmas cactus starts from a gardener
friend in Monroe who has a huge cactus in the window of
his barbershop. He will be proud to know that we are continuing
his strong family tradition. I know my mom has had a few
blossoms on her plants and I have had success with one pot
that is close to a south-facing window. The other plant
in the west window just pushes out unique foliage, but no
hot-pink flowers yet.
Even though the plant is called a cactus, it doesn't mean
it should be neglected and left without water like other
cacti. The Christmas cactus is in the cactus family, but
it prefers a bit more moisture. If you want to get it to
bloom around Christmas, it requires indirect light in the
fall, but total darkness at night.
Water it thoroughly, and that means water it until the water
drains out the bottom holes of the pot, but be careful not
to let it sit in a puddle of water. When the top one inch
of soil is dry, you can water it again.
Because the Christmas cactus is a tropical plant it will
require watering on much the same basis as any other plant
of that type. A good procedure to follow is to water the
plant thoroughly, then allow about the top inch of soil
to dry before watering it again. However, during the fall
and winter months, it should be watered less frequently
to get it to bloom. Give it some fertilizer in February
to carry it through until late spring.
Just like a poinsettia, it should be kept away from drafty
spots in the house, such as an open door or heat vent. A
cold or hot blast of air will cause it to whither and die.
If you get the plant to start growing buds, but they drop
off, you may be watering it too much. It also might need
more light to hold onto the blooms. Once it has bloomed,
it needs some rest for about a month. Put it in a cool place
and skip some of the watering. It may drop a few leaves,
but that is common. Resist the temptation to pinch the plant
back until April.
For those who are trying to grow paperwhites and amaryllis,
we'll discuss them next week.
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