Celebrate Holidays with Green Thumbs: Tending and Presenting Seasonal Flora for Festivities
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Poinsettias, Norfolk Island Pine, and other holiday plants can brighten up your home during the festive season. Here's a guide to help you care for these popular holiday plants.
Poinsettias
Poinsettias are known for their vibrant green, blue, and white blooms that last for a month or two. To keep them thriving, provide them with full sun or partly shady environments and well-draining soil.
Water your poinsettia every 72 hours, ensuring the soil dries out between waterings. Avoid letting it dry out completely or sit in soggy soil. Place it in a bright, indirect sunlight area for about 6-8 hours daily, away from cold drafts, heating vents, and freezing temperatures. Fertilize only after new growth appears, using a diluted all-purpose fertilizer. If your poinsettia shows signs of wilting, aggressive pruning of stems may help, and transplanting it to larger pots with organic soil in late spring or early summer can aid long-term growth.
Norfolk Island Pine
The Norfolk Island Pine is often sold before the Christmas season and makes a great houseplant. Its soft, beautiful foliage can make any room look alive. This tropical plant prefers well-draining soil and thrives in warm, humid environments. Water it when the top soil feels dry, and apply fertilizers during the spring and summer seasons using a small amount to avoid over-fertilizing. Norfolk Island Pine prefers direct bright light but can tolerate indirect full bright light.
Lavender
Lavender is a bushy perennial plant known for its soothing fragrance, evergreen foliage, and violet blooms. Plant lavender in the spring in moderately fertile soil, leaving room for it to grow. Lavender hates moistness and standing water, so avoid overwatering and grow it in well-draining soil.
Holiday Star Amaryllis
Holiday Star Amaryllis produces red, pink, orange, and white flowers and can be grown indoors or outdoors in zones 8b to 10. This flowering houseplant blooms during the winter months and makes a great holiday gift. Holiday Star Amaryllis prefers well-draining soil and does not need regular watering. Keep it away from direct sunlight to encourage more flowers to grow.
Rosemary
Rosemary plants are best grown before the last spring frost, either from seeds or using plant cuttings. This fragrant herb can be used to season holiday dishes and makes a useful and attractive holiday gift. Rosemary grows well indoors in a sunny location with good air circulation and should be kept with moist but not soggy soil.
By following these care tips, you can ensure your holiday plants thrive throughout the season and beyond. Happy gardening!
[1] Gardening Know How [2] The Spruce [4] Gardener's Path
Incorporating a home-and-garden touch, consider growing Lavender for its soothing fragrance and evergreen foliage. As a perennial plant, it prefers well-draining soil and dislikes standing water.
When looking for a lively touch for your home-and-garden, the Norfolk Island Pine, often sold before Christmas, makes an excellent choice. This tropical plant thrives in warm, humid environments with well-draining soil and prefers bright, direct or indirect light.
