Christmas plants liven up your holdiay decor.
‘Tis the season when cold days, long nights and the approach of holidays make flowering plants in the marketplace all but irresistible. So, give in and add living colour to your holiday decor. With proper care, they can last well into the New Year, perhaps even re-blooming on cue for next year.
Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) is an ideal hanging plant, with its naturally pendant branches cascading gracefully over the pot rim. Flower colours range from red through magenta, pink, salmon and white. Native to the equatorial jungles of Brazil, it grows aboveground in the clefts of branches in the forest canopy. Flowering is initiated in response to short days and long nights; on the Canadian prairies this occurs in the fall. Because it’s actually the long night that triggers flower bud development, the trick is to place them in a location that receives uninterrupted darkness for 12 or more hours each night.
Find an eastern exposure where lights are seldom switched on at night (a spare bedroom). Mine has been in an east window for years and it blooms right on schedule. Once in bloom, don’t shift the plant to another location simply for your viewing pleasure as sudden changes in temperature, humidity or light often cause bud drop. Some of the newer cultivars are less sensitive to day length.
Christmas cactus flourish at normal room temperature in a welldrained potting mixture. Water moderately and fertilize occasionally in spring or summer. Repot every few years as needed.
They’re easily propagated by stem cuttings.
If you’re looking for a slightly more challenging houseplant, why not an azalea? This dwarf shrub blooms for four to eight weeks and is available in a range of colours that includes white, pinks, corals, salmons, reds and bi-colours.
Azaleas first made their way into our hearts and homes in the early 1800s. They were introduced from China, and within a few decades most of the colours commonly seen today were gracing Victorian parlours. They thrive under bright but indirect light and cool temperatures, 10-18C. Under warmer conditions flowers inevitably droop and leaves fall. Sudden changes from cooler to warmer temperatures aggravate these symptoms. I’ve found a position on the floor near a north or east wall with bright but indirect light works well.
Never allow the pot to dry out nor sit in water. Azaleas are usually potted in a media containing a high proportion of peat moss that provides both acidity and moisture retention. Fertilize moderately when not in flower. They can be placed in a shaded area outdoors for the summer, but bring them back indoors before the first hard frost.
African violets (Saintpaulia ionantha), native to the Usambara Mountains of northeast Tanzania, were introduced by Baron Walter von St. Paul-Illaire (1860-1910), a German military officer and colonial administrator in what was then German East Africa. Fortunately for us, he had a strong interest in botany.
A popular house plant for over a century, African violets are shallowly rooted with a rosette of round to oval, hairy leaves. There are hundreds of varieties, and flowers can be single to double in blue, purple, white, pink, red or multi-coloured with noticeable yellow stamens in the centre.
They do best with bright but indirect light at normal room temperatures. For continuous flowering when the days become shorter, place them about 30 cm (12 in.) below fluorescent tubes that are on for 12 hours per day. Water moderately, allowing the top half-inch of soil to dry out between waterings. Never let the plants stand in water as this encourages root rot. Fertilize at one-quarter strength at each watering using a complete soluble house plant fertilizer (e.g. 20-20-20).
Allow African violets to remain somewhat root-bound. When repotting, use a potting soil containing equal parts peat moss, perlite and vermiculite. They are easily propagated using a leaf with an attached stalk.
Sara is the author of numerous gardening books including her latest with co-author Bob Bors, Fruit for Northern Gardens, just in time for the gift-giving season.
This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (www.saskperennial.ca; hortscene@yahoo.com; www.facebook.com/saskperennial). Check out our Bulletin Board or Calendar for upcoming garden information sessions, workshops, tours and other events.