Christmas Plants And The Delicate Care They Need

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Many people have Christmas plants at home, but don’t really know how to take care of these winter beauties. In case you don’t know anything about the Christmas plants, here are some things that may help you grow healthy plants indoors. The so called Christmas plants are the poinsettia, the amaryllis and the narcissus.

amaryllisThey are grown in pots and if you take good care for them, you can see them blooming at Christmas. The first thing you should do is to remove the foil wrapping.

Usually the foil wrapping looks good, but it actually traps the water and the roots can easily dry out.

The very next step is to find the right place for the plant. Place it only in an area with good light, because the plant should receive at least six hours of bright light per day.

In case you have a free space near the windows of your home, this is the right place for the Christmas plants.

Make sure you are avoiding the cold drafts or too hot air. In case your plant is near the radiator or the heating vent, just remove it from there and place in an area, where the temperature is cool, but not too cool.

The watering should be done regularly, because the roots of these plants dry easily.

poinsettiaDon’t forget to check out the plants for bugs. Spray them with a mixture of liquid dish soap and water, for this will keep the plant free from bugs.

The spent blossoms should be removed, in order to improve the growth of new green leaves.

Another important thing is to check the bottom of the pot for roots that are coming out.  If you see that there are roots, replace the plant into a bigger pot.

The poinsettias require special care. You should remove the yellowed leaves to make a way for the new leaves.

Don’t worry if they are green at the beginning. The poinsettia needs 12 hours of darkness to become red.

The narcissus and the amaryllis are whimsical plants, so you should cut off the leaves from bulbs only if they are totally yellow. If you cut off the green leaves, the plant will not bloom.

narcissus

Make sure the dormant bulbs are kept in a cool place and when the weather warms up, plant them outside. The right time to plant the Christmas plants outside is in the late spring, for they will need a lot of sun to grow healthy.