Post-Festival Greenery Maintenance
In the spirit of the festive season, many households welcome a variety of plants to add a touch of green and cheer to their interiors. Here's a guide to help you care for some of the most common holiday plants, ensuring they thrive and brighten up your home.
Holiday plants like Poinsettias, Christmas cactus, Norfolk Island pine, cyclamen, lemon cypress, anthurium, and orchids are popular choices. Each plant has its unique preferences when it comes to watering, humidity, and light.
For instance, plants that require particularly high humidity and are suitable for terrariums include ferns like Adiantum peruvianum, which thrive at humidity levels above 70%, and Araceae family plants (aroids) that need humidity over 60%, especially velvety-leaved species. These plants benefit from warm, humid, and indirectly lit environments typical of tropical terrariums.
On the other hand, indoor conifers such as lemon cypress or small potted juniper and spruce have brittle and dry foliage when in need of water or additional humidity. Poinsettias, Christmas cactus, and Norfolk Island pine prefer to be on the drier side, while cyclamen, lemon cypress, and anthurium prefer more water.
Most holiday plants prefer bright indirect light, with north-facing windows being ideal. However, pulling the plant away from a western, eastern, or southern facing window several feet or using light diffusing curtains can help if the light is too harsh.
Deadheading spent blooms, pulling off or cutting off yellow or damaged foliage, and trimming off brown tips can help keep holiday plants looking tidy. Lifting the plant from the foil wrapper, watering, and allowing it to drain before replacing the foil sleeve is recommended during the holiday season.
When it comes to repotting, use a standard, well-drained potting mix in a container with drainage holes. Orchids require an orchid specific bark mix. Remember, many holiday plants will be happy in their original pot for quite some time, but Christmas cactus prefers to have its roots slightly cramped and root bound.
One important aspect to note is that these plants will not need any type of fertilizer over the winter months. However, orchids require careful watering to avoid overwatering, which can cause the roots to rot. Water bulb type plants such as cyclamen, amaryllis, and paperwhites from the bottom, keeping the top of the bulb dry.
Caring for holiday plants can be an enjoyable and rewarding activity. To enhance your knowledge, consider signing up for a platform newsletter that offers gardening tips, videos, information, and a free e-book titled "How to Grow Delicious Tomatoes". Amy Draiss, Digital Community Manager at the platform since 2021, shares her expertise in plants, supplies, and customer relations through videos and social media.
Lastly, clustering plants together or setting them on a tray of wet pebbles can increase humidity for plants. The frosty fern, which requires very high humidity, can be planted in a terrarium to maintain moisture. For those with plants that need higher humidity, this simple trick can make a significant difference.
Happy planting and a joyous holiday season!
