How to Keep Holiday Plants Healthy
Poinsettias, Christmas cacti, Cyclamen, and Frosty Ferns are all classic Christmas plants you’ll find everywhere during the holidays. But while they’re popular in the winter, these poor things are actually tropical plants that need lots of sunshine and warm weather to survive. To help them out in our fickle Georgia climate, they’ll need some regular maintenance.
Remove the Wrapping
Festive holiday plant gifts usually come in little plastic pots swaddled in shiny, metallic paper. One of the best things you can do for your new green friend is to get them out of that suffocating environment and give them some room to breathe!
Set in the Sun
Finding direct sunlight in your home isn’t always an option, but luckily, plants can make do with ambient light. Set your Christmas cacti up by a window that brings in a lot of light during the day (even if it doesn’t seem like “direct” sunlight), and you’ll have one happy plant!
Mind the Draft
Most Christmas plants prefer warmer weather, but what they want more than anything is consistent weather. Don’t place a poinsettia right by a door that opens a lot, or an air vent where your AC will come blasting when things heat up outside.
Water When Needed
It can be hard to set up a timed watering schedule for any plant, but for tropical ones, all you have to do is check the dirt. Stick your finger in about an inch or two. If it comes out dry, it’s time to water! If moist soil clings to your skin, then your plant has enough water for now.
Don’t Forget Drainage!
If the pot your poinsettia came in already has drainage holes, then great! But if it doesn’t, be sure to transfer it into something water can drain out of. Without drainage, the soil will stay waterlogged, which can rot the roots, grow mold, and overall kill your plant.
For more in-depth tips for your specific Christmas plant, check out HomeStead Gardens handy guide!
