From The Ground Up: Know how to care for those beautiful holiday plants

This Christmas I sure hope you are enjoying a beautiful holiday plant as part of your seasonal festivities. If you give your holiday plant a little tender loving care it will last as long as possible, bringing you joy well into the new year.

Hands down the most popular holiday plant is poinsettia. Hopefully you were as lucky as I to find a new variety this year with beautiful red leaves splashed with the color of cream, called 'Jingle.” Poinsettias need bright light but don't like direct sunlight. They are sensitive to drought, but don't like too much water and they don't like drafts by a frequently used door.

Poinsettias can be damaged if exposed to low temperatures, so if you are transporting it make sure the entire plant is wrapped with no foliage exposed. Paper is preferred over plastic for wrapping. To maintain your poinsettia, water it sparingly. Only water it when the surface of the soil has started to dry out. It requires well drained soil, so if your plant is in festive foil paper it's a good idea to check the foil wrapping so it doesn't become a water dish, drowning the roots. Poking holes in the foil and setting on a tray can avoid water-logged roots.

Another popular seasonal plant is the Kalanchoe. The Kalanchoe has many of the same requirements as the Poinsettia. It prefers temperatures between 55 & 80 degrees. Water when soil surface is dry. After it blooms, prune the plant back, set the pot back away from bright light and don't water for a month. Bring the pot back into bright light, water, lightly fertilize, and your plant is likely to re-bloom.

Cyclamen is another popular winter blooming plant. This plant requires some humidity, so set the pot on a saucer full of pebbles and water, which creates a 'humidity” tray. It also requires bright light but prefers a cooler location. If your plant is becoming leggy and showing spindly growth, it's not getting enough light. This plant seems to last longer if it is watered from the bottom. When surface soil dries, set the pot in lukewarm water for a few hours, allow it to drain and return to your favorite viewing area.

Any of these seasonal flowering plants add a nice dash of color to your home for the holidays and hopefully, beyond. Make sure you enjoy your seasonal plants where you and your family are celebrating, then after the holiday, you can find the right spot in your house for your new plant. When it finishes blooming, place it back in its preferred location and pamper it into future flowers. Most of all enjoy your plant and enjoy the season.

l For questions, call the Linn County Extension Master Gardener Hotline at (319) 447-0647.