KEEP CHRISTMAS HOUSEPLANTS HEALTHY

They just need a li le bit of care to keep them looking good

Houseplant sales on the run up to Christmas are always high with people buying them as gifts or to have in their own house as part of the festive decorations. To keep your plants looking good and healthy over Christmas they need to be looked after properly and given the correct growing conditions. Mid-December through until mid-January is the darkest part of winter with short days, which isn’t ideal for most indoor plants. Combine this with cold weather outside and warm centrally-heated rooms and it can all cause stress to plants.

However, with a li le care, you should easily be able to keep your lovely Christmas plants looking great. Firstly, buy from a good source and avoid plants that are outside on market stalls or forecourts. There are exceptions to this, such as cyclamen and hyacinths in pots which are fine in cool weather, but poinse ia, Christmas cacti, orchids and others all need warmth and being outside will shock them. At home keep the plants in a light position and bear in mind that some plants needs cooler conditions and others warmer, but never stand a plant close to a direct heat source. Over-watering kills plants, so only do it when compost starts to dry out, aim to keep it moist and never allow plants to stand in water.