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Fertilization key to holiday flowering

By Don Breedlove | Statesville R&L

Published: December 8, 2008

Two of the more popular indoor plants during the Christmas season are the Poinsettia and the Christmas Cactus. Poinsettias can be made to bloom again next Christmas by conditioning them to long hours of darkness from late September until late November after a spring and summer of care.

This involves clipping back, repotting, fertilizing, watering and pest management. The Christmas Cactus is a little less of a challenge to bring back into bloom. It will flower well until late January and even better if placed in the dark from about 5 p.m. until 8a.m. with the temperature below 70 degrees during the flowering period.

The secret of success for both plants depends on proper care by fertilizing, watering, air humidity, light and temperature. Three of the references we use on the proper care and management of indoor plants are "The House Plant Expert, Encyclopedia of Plant care and Growing Beautiful House Plants."

These holiday flowering plants require strong but indirect light to keep them in good condition. Avoid direct sunlight since the sun's heat wilts flowers quickly. Turning plants once a week will prevent them from leaning excessively toward the light. Plants should be kept away from hot and cool vents. At the other extreme avoid placing them in cool drafts like near a door . When watering, keep the soil moderately moist. If the top layer of soil feels dry to the touch, water thoroughly until water drains from the bottom of the pot. Wait about 15 minutes and discard the excess water. Roots can be severely damaged by allowing soil to become very dry or waterlogged.

Remove faded flowers and wilted leaves as they develop. Fertilize regularly with a water soluble house plant fertilizer in accordance to the label or use a time- release grade of fertilizer that provides a few months of continuous nutrients. Some special problems with these plants once they move from the greenhouse to the home are under and over watering, dry air and poor light. Finding a bright location, occasionally misting, placing containers over a shallow dish with water and stone to build up the humidity and feeling the soil for moisture are highly recommended care for longer plant life.