Help Holiday Plants Last Longer

How long do your holiday plants last? Poinsettias, cyclamen, kalanchoe and other seasonal flowers should last for many weeks. If yours are thrown out before the Christmas candy is gone, then reevaluate a couple of maintenance practices.

Proper watering is perhaps the most important single factor that determines the life of potted holiday plants. The moisture requirement is somewhat different than that of the typical house plant. Being in full bloom, they need a soil or potting medium moisture level that does not fluctuate greatly. In fact, If the root ball becomes extremely dry only one time, the plant will react by sacrificing blooms in order to survive.

Most of these seasonal flowers are grown in a potting mix with a high percentage of peat moss or other organic amendment. Once extremely dry, these materials tend to shrink away from contact with the pot and are difficult to rewet.

So with this in mind, watering a poinsettia or other flowering plant does not amount to an occasional dribble of water in the center of the pot. Start when the plant is brought home. Unwrap it and take it to a bathtub or outside and water it thoroughly. Soak the root ball by filling the pot and allowing excess water to drain away. Do this several times at 5 to 10 minute intervals.

Such repeated soakings might seem like overkill, but there is a reason. The peat containing root ball must reach its full water holding capacity, eliminating any dry spots at the outset. These dry areas, if not eliminated with the initial watering, actually resist moisture and channel it directly out of the pot.

Follow up watering should be done as soon as the surface of the potting mixture begins to appear, or feel slightly dry. Fill the pot to the top with water, allowing gravity to move it through the root system. Each time that the pot is irrigated, some excess water should run out of the holes at the base of the pot. If no excess is collected at the pot’s base, you are not applying enough water.

Locate plants far from electronic equipment such as televisions and other devices. Such equipment can cause the potting mixture to dry out faster than normal, as well as causing the leaves and flowers to age quicker.

Light is also a factor that limits the longevity of holiday plants. These species require high light levels. In fact, most are produced under direct sunlight. With this in mind, place plants in the brightest areas of each room. Natural light is best, so locate them within 4 feet of a window that faces South, East or West.

Question of the Week: My azaleas are blooming a lot this fall. Will I get any flowers next spring?

Answer: It is unusual for azaleas to be flowering at this time of year. Though there are a few varieties that bloom a little each fall, what we are experiencing in December this year is extreme.

Evidently, the cool nights that occurred in September and October satisfied, or partially satisfied, the azaleas dormancy requirement. That, followed by the recent mild weather, “tricked” azaleas into flowering. Actually, there were some complex physiological reactions that took place within the plants that resulted in what we are seeing. Bottom line though: they are blooming at the wrong time!

All of the buds that have opened, will obviously be expended or used up. You will likely still have some flowers at the normal time next spring, but expect less color on those varieties that are flowering heavily now.