During the Christmas holiday season your houseplants are probably the last thing on your mind. What with buying last minute presents, putting up Christmas decorations and then cooking meals for numbers of guests, you have little time to worry about anything else. So now the main rush is over it’s time to check on your houseplants and give them any TLC they need. Here are some helpful tips on how to care for four common indoor plants. This comes from Abbi Hayes over at the Planters Place website.
The holidays are over. So what should you do with these festive houseplants?Poinsettias
?Poinsettias are by far the plant I am most often asked about in January, and my answers are not for the faint of heart.
What?s the best thing to do with your Poinsettia after the holidays? Turn it into compost. (The second best thing to do is to throw it in the garbage.)
Here?s my reason. Poinsettias require an exhausting list of requirements to rebloom for the holidays the following year and will most likely end up dead or leggy with no color. They need?almost monthly adjustments in light and temperature in order to flush color and bloom again, not to mention pinching back at least three times through the year to ensure a bushy (instead of leggy) plant.Norfolk Island Pines
These are one of my favorite houseplants and worth keeping around after the holidays. They are fairly slow-growing, but will eventually outgrow a typical 8 foot ceiling (in 10-20 years depending on conditions and initial size). Do not transplant Norfolk Pines outdoors unless you’re in Zone 10 or higher, and only repot when necessary.
Growth can be slowed by keeping the plant in a smaller container. Occasional browning of the lower needles is normal, but too much may indicate it needs more water and/or humidity. Water thoroughly when the soil feels dry to the touch, and increase humidity by grouping with other plants or, if you?re lucky enough to have the space and a window, keep it in the bathroom.
See more at: Planters Place
Image source: Joe deSousa
