Holiday Plant Care

Whether you received them as gifts or use them as decorations, your holiday plants, with proper care, can bring pleasure for weeks or even months after the holiday season ends.

The newer poinsettia varieties retain their leaves and bracts remarkably well and may stay in good shape for several months. Keep a uniform room temperature for poinsettias between 60 and 68 degrees. Put your plant near a bright window, out of direct sunlight, and remove it if there is danger of chilling.

Try to maintain the soil moisture at moderate and uniform levels. Never let the pot stand in water for any extended period of time. If the plant came wrapped in foil or other water-tight material, be sure to punch holes in the bottom or remove the wrap entirely, so water won’t be trapped inside.

While the poinsettia remains the choice of holiday plants, the Christmas cactus is popular too. Most blooming plants will keep better in cooler temperatures and in a well-lit location away from sources of hot air. Watering seems to be the source of most problems with the Christmas cactus. Water thoroughly when the top half of the soil in the pot feels dry to the touch. Discard the excess; do not water again until the top half becomes dry. 

Well-drained soil is a must for Christmas cactus. Use a commercially packaged potting mix for succulent plants. Pruning your Christmas cactus after blooming will encourage the plant to branch out. Remove a few sections of each stem by pinching them off with a knife.

Consider adding a splash of the tropics among your usual and seasonal decorations this year by purchasing an amaryllis. They come in shades of red, pink, white, and stripes. They can be found in bloom this time of year or as a bulb ready to start.

It is important to keep the soil moist, but not soggy, otherwise the bulb will rot. Place in a warm area, but not direct afternoon sun. Remember to rotate the plant regularly so it will grow straight. Depending on the variety, they can grow up to three feet tall and may need staking.

Remove the flowers after they have withered where it exits the stalk. Do not remove the foliage as this feeds the bulb for the next year’s growth.  New leaves will continue to appear and you can care for this as any other house plant. In June the amaryllis can be moved outdoors in its container. Continue watering, and twice a month use houseplant fertilizer. Other than these few steps amaryllis need little fussing. 

The “Holiday Plant Guide” will help you care for your plants. Contact the Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County at 570-963-6842 or email: LackawannaMG@psu.edu for a free copy.

Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County