Living plants, from poinsettias to cyclamen and from showy amaryllis to Christmas cacti, are becoming more popular as holiday presents and hostess gifts every year.
While we all love to get these living symbols of the season with their bright colors and lush greenery, caring for them can draw mixed emotions. Fear not. By learning just a little about what each plant needs, you can keep your gifts flourishing through the season and sometimes for years.
Here are a few common gift plants and tips on their care:
Poinsettia: Poinsettias abound this time of year. They come in several colors - including scarlet, ivory, pink and mauve - and have been favorites in the United States for many years. The colorful bracts may stay bright for months if you care for them properly. Bright, indirect light and frequent watering are essential.
Poinsettias require at least six hours of bright light a day to do their best if they are to be kept blooming for more than a couple of weeks. Temperatures between 65 and 70 degrees are ideal, and it is best to keep them out of drafts and away from direct heat sources such as fireplaces and heat vents.
They should be watered when the soil surface feels dry to the touch and just until water drains out of the bottom of the pot. Do not let them stand in water-filled saucers because they are susceptible to root rot.
If you intend to keep poinsettias as foliage plants, cut the plant back to about 10 inches when the colored bracts begin to fade in early spring. (The “flowers” are actually colored leaves, called bracts, which surround the true, tiny yellow flowers in the middle.)
Begin feeding it with a standard houseplant food and repot it in a slightly larger container to encourage root growth. By late spring, your poinsettia should have lots of new green leaves and can be moved outside to a sheltered position until frost. It can be maintained as a striking foliage plant for many years, but to rebloom requires a strict regimen of dark periods and light.
Cyclamen: Cyclamen are excellent gift plants that are usually available from October through March. Its graceful, winged flowers of pink, rose, white or crimson rise on long stems above distinctive, heart-shaped leaves that are often handsomely marked.
Given cool growing conditions in a well-lighted spot out of direct sun, cyclamen can bloom for several months. Cool temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees are the key to making the flowers last longer. These cooler temperatures can generally be found at an east or north window during the winter. The soil should be kept moist, but the pots should not stand in water. Plants are easily damaged from overwatering and under watering.
Cyclamen are perennials with thick, tuberous roots, which can last for years and rebloom. They require rest after blooming, during which water is gradually withheld until the leaves die back, and then are not watered again for six weeks. New foliage will appear after watering resumes, and bright light and cool temperatures may produce a plant that will reflower.
Holiday Cactus: There are three types of related species that look like Christmas cacti. The three types bloom at different times of the year and can be found in flower at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. All require bright sunlight and moderate moisture levels.
South windows are excellent locations for holiday cactus. After the six weeks of blooming, remove spent flowers and apply a houseplant fertilizer. Plants can be grown outside in semi-shaded location. Stem pieces of three segments or more are easily propagated.
Other plants one often receives may include amaryllis, Easter lily and chrysanthemum. The key to keeping all healthy is mainly common sense. Listed below are a few simple procedures for healthy plant care:
• Pay attention to the label that comes with the plant.
• Remember that all plants need water, but very few do well when left standing in it (remove foil from around pot or punch holes in it to promote good drainage).
• Remember that most potted plants will do well on biweekly or monthly feeding of a balanced houseplant fertilizer.
Bill Tyson is the coordinator for Effingham County Cooperative Extension of the University of Georgia.
Email him at wtyson@uga.edu or call the Extension office at 754-8040.