I saw that you talked about keeping gift plants happy and looking nice for a long time. Can you please remind me?
Yes, I will be happy to present this reminder.
It differs with the type of plant you are working with. First thing: Hang on to the ID tag, as it usually has good plant care info for that specific plant.
If it is a “Christmas blooming” type plant, such as poinsettia, cyclamen, azalea, moth orchid, or others such as African violet, they need to be evenly moist, not wet. All of these for the most part would be happier without all the beautiful wrapping paper or plastic pot covers. If you take them out they would get better air circulation, plus you would not be trapping water in the bottom of the decorative covering.
They want some pretty good light, by a window, but make sure the plant is not in a drafty spot, Most indoor plants don’t do too well in a cold draft.
You usually are told to withhold fertilized in winter. For most indoor plants, that is correct, with the exception of blooming plants. Every 10 to 15 days, I do a half-dose as I water. You want to encourage those blooms to keep coming on.
Do a nice grooming when you fertilize, removing wilting leaves or blooms to keep the plants clean and neat-looking. Take a close look into the foliage for any insect invasion or disease. Keeping it healthy should ensure you have a lovely plant even when it is out of bloom, this being time when it’s saving up it’s energy to bloom next time.
As for green plants such as philodendron, dracaena, ivy, and other green-leaved plants, the same rules are true — considering light, avoiding drafts, etc. The exception is not to fertilize them until you see new growth in spring; longer daylight hours are what stimulate the plant to get going.
Ferns, bamboos, orchids and other ‘touchy’ plants need quite a specific condition that may be hard to find in your home. My opinion is, with that type of plant, you either have a good spot where it will prosper, or you don’t. It’s not worth the fuss, so don’t feel bad if such plants go into a sulk — just get new ones in that like the situation you offer them.
I still have some bulbs that I’ve not planted. Can I plant them now here in December?
Yes, do plant them. This question comes up often, and I answer it often as well, but I’d hate to see the reader’s bulb die from neglect. It really won’t hurt them to be in the soil this late, It’s not the best, but they will be OK. They will bloom late, but by the second year they will be on the proper cycle and do fine. I’ve had folks ask if they could plant them as late as March and April. I certainly don’t think those will do well the first year, or even if they will recover. But what harm could it cause planting them? Better to let the dead bulb enrich the soil than send it to the landfill.
We wanted to decorate our mantelpiece but forgot to buy holly. Can you name any other plants I could buy beside the fir boughs?
While holly is traditional, there are plants that have nice evergreen leaves that I’ve used, but I cut them in my own yard.
I’ve not seen cuttings of most of the plants I’ll name at florists or in garden departments, but you may know someone with a garden who would snip you a few branches.
I like to use nandina, which often has red leaves; aucuba, some have variegation on large evergreen leaves; or pierus japonica, small evergreen leaves. One of my favorites is osmanthus. It looks like holly, but is not prickly. Also try sarcococca, which has highly scented blooms in winter.
In my experience, all these shrubby plants hold up very well in winter arrangement.
Celeste Lindsay is a WSU-certified master gardener. Send questions to mslindsay8@gmail.com.
