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Growing Holiday Gift Plants in the New Year
January 7, 2022
by Debbie Hopper/Victoria County Master Gardener
Edited by Victoria County Master Gardener Gardeners' Dirt Chair Suzanne LaBrecque
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER DEBBIE HOPPER
Muted Color Poinsettia
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER DEBBIE HOPPER
Red Poinsettia
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER DEBBIE HOPPER
White Poinsettia
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER DEBBIE HOPPER
Christmas Cactus
CHRISTMAS PLANTS
Christmas plants come in a variety of colors to enhance holiday cheer.
Foil is used to hide the black plastic pot the plant normally comes in.
The foil is often to blame for the demise of the plant.
RESOURCES
The House Plant Expert, Dr. D.G. Hessayon
Miracle-Gro Complete Guide to Houseplants
gardendesign.com
canr.msu.edu
Texas A & M Agrilife Extension Service Specialist Fran Pontasch
gardeningknowhow.com
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER DEBBIE HOPPER
Christmas Cactus
Christmas is over and many of us received poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) and/or Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) as holiday gifts.
Many gift plants arrive wrapped in green, red, silver or gold foil around the container with a big beautiful bow. Florists use the foil to dress up the plants, especially around the holidays.
Have you noticed your plant is starting to look unhealthy, or leaves yellowing or dropping? Should you take that pretty foil off? Probably. Many of these foil-wrapped plants can die within weeks because the roots rot and can’t breathe when they sit in water. The foil wrapping traps the water, and it has no place to go.
There are two other alternatives if you wish to keep the foil. You can poke tiny holes into the bottom of the foil and put the container where excess water can drain out.
The other alternative is to take the plant out of the foil wrapping and water the plant at the sink and let the water drain through. Once the container has drained, place the container back into the foil wrapper.
The poinsettia is the most popular holiday plant. Poinsettias come in a variety of colors such as red, white, pink, bicolored and red with white specks. You can find new colored poinsettias in salmon, mauve and purple.
Some say poinsettias are picky plants. They like semi-cool, but humid locations in bright but indirect light.
They do not like to sit in standing water. It is best to let poinsettias dry out before watering. Once the bracts, the brightly colored leaf-like structure that is slightly different from the other leaves fall, you can throw out the plant or keep it and relocate it to a cool, dark area until spring.
Some people in our area grow poinsettias outside. Until the temperature gets above 60 degrees, it is best to keep them indoors. After the last frost around March 1, you can plant them outside.
Christmas cactus is a popular succulent and very pretty when covered in blooms. They are easy to care for and to propagate. They like to be somewhat root bound and have small root systems.
Christmas cactus likes living in the average home. It will adapt to low light, but will produce better blooms if it is exposed to brighter light. Do avoid too much bright sunlight as it can burn its leaves.
It will need frequent, thorough watering during its active growth in the spring and summer, but do not let the plant sit in water. This cactus needs to almost dry out between watering. A houseplant fertilizer solution can be used every other week if desired. You can use a tray of pebbles filled with water beneath the Christmas cactus container to add humidity to the home.
When the Christmas cactus stops flowering or about six to eight weeks before you want it to re-bloom, cut back on water, light and temperature. It will need 12-14 hours of uninterrupted darkness to go dormant. They normally bloom December through January.
Christmas cactus comes in several colors such as salmon, white, red-orange, lilac and a deep rose. Christmas cactus can grow up to 8 feet in diameter and 3 to 4 feet high.
Next year during the holiday, when considering what gift to buy or how to decorate the interior of your home, consider one of these plants. They are an excellent way to add bright color and cheer to your home. Also, they are easy-care, provided you keep them properly watered and in the right light. Both these plants can extend the holiday season into the New Year.
The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.
ph: 361-935-1556
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