Christmas plant manager

So you received a plant as a house warming gift recently or, maybe you bought one and you are thinking, 'Now what am I supposed to with it?'
I am here, at your service.

Remember that a poinsettia, cyclamen, azalea or whatever is a living thing. And that plants are people too (yes, you heard it here first). All this means is that you need to feed and water your new pet plant if you want to get the most out of it.
Here are the most popular holiday plants during the Christmas season. Regardless of your religious faith, having one or more of these plants in your home can add a lot of cheer, not to mention some valuable moisture and oxygen to the air. 

Let's get started:

Poinsettia: 
Pronounced 'poinsetta' in most parts of Canada: 'poinsettia' in the States.

The poinsettia is native to Taxco, Mexico. Think 'hot', 'dry' and 'sunny' and you get the idea. Put yours in the sunniest window that you have ? south or west facing are best: anything but north. 
Allow the surface of the soil to dry to the touch before watering as 9 out of 10 poinsettia problems start with overwatering, in my experience. 

I recommend that you take the plant out of the decorative foil covering or the ceramic pot that it may be nestled in, and put the plant in the sink. Apply room temperature water direct from the tap, until water begins to dribble out of the bottom of the pot. Leave the plant in the sink over night or for several hours in any case to allow excess water to drain from the soil.
You can move a poinsettia around your house ? putting it in the centre of the dining room table for instance ? but be sure to move it back into a sunny window mid-day, especially when the sun is shining.
Fertilize with Plant Prod 20-20-20 every 3 to 4 weeks up until late April.

Watch my blog, right here, come spring for tips on keeping your poinsettia over the summer and how to reflower it next season.

Cyclamen:

This native of Persia (Iran) is a long-flowering, tough customer that loves our Canadian homes ? they like a cool environment! Not so cool that you would plant them out of doors (unless you live in zone 8 British Columbia), but cyclamen loves to live in a sunny window that is cool. A room temperature of 16 to 18 degrees Celsius (58 to 65 degrees f.) is perfect.

They bloom for 6 to 8 weeks when you allow the surface of the soil to dry (see instructions re: poinsettia).
Fertilize with Plant Prod 20-20-20 every month until early spring. Come May, plant out into the garden in a partly shady location, out of the afternoon sun. In September, dig it up, repot it into fresh potting soil and bring indoors into a sunny window for reflowering come next Christmas.

Azalea:
This native to China provides the most stunning flowers of all ? fully double, pink, white or red (or combinations thereof). They are not the easiest indoor flowering plants to take care of, as they demand relatively consistent watering, but do not like to sit in the same water for long. I recommend that you slip the plant out of its' waterproof container and let it 'breathe' without impairment.
Keep in a sunny or bright window.
When the flowers finish, which is usually about 10 days to 3 weeks after you bring it home, pull off the finished blossoms and enjoy your azalea for the evergreen foliage.

During the late spring and summer, plant your azalea out of doors under the dappled shade of a shade tree. Sink the pot-and-all into the ground to minimize transplant shock come fall.

To reflower, come fall (usually in late October or early November in most parts of Canada) leave your 'florist' azalea out of doors to get one 'kiss' of frost. Then bring it indoors for the rest of the fall and winter season. Place in a sunny window and watch it bloom ? with any luck ? in time for Christmas next year.

Fertilize with Plant Prod 30-10-10 every 3 weeks.

Amaryllis:
Anybody can grow one: everyone will enjoy one.
You really cannot miss when you give an amaryllis to someone. 
I gave one to my 94-year-old uncle Tom Stovell last winter and here is a picture of him enjoying it in his room. Proud as can be: He nurtured it, talked to it, watered it, turned it (to avoid it falling over from the weight of its' own flower) and he is the amaryllis hero at Lanark Place in Kitchener, Ontario, where he lives.

Place your amaryllis bulb in the soil burying the bulb itself by only about 1/3.
Water well, at first, gradually pulling back on watering over the first 2 weeks, allowing the soil to dry about one centimeter below the surface between watering.

When the flower finishes, cut the old flower and stem off, allowing new flower shoots to develop and keep the leaves intact ? they are the food factory of the bulb, building up the energy of the bulb for later flowering (next year). 

Come spring, treat your amaryllis as you would an azalea (see instructions above). 

Remember to have fun with your flowering indoor plants:each has its' own personality and will perform in response to your care (and often, by ignoring them too!)

Don't over water.

Don't over fertilize.

Be sure to place each plant in a prominent place in your home, especially when you have company over.

And keep your knees dirty.

Mark