Friday, December 29, 2006
Poinsettias aren't for a lifetime — just for Christmas
Libba Wolfe
Libba Wolfe's column appears twice monthly in Extra.
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I have a friend who spends all year buying Christmas decorations. She spends days in early December gussying up every corner of her house. And by 9:30 on Christmas night she has stripped it away, packed it up and she is DONE.
It's easy -- but not fun -- to rewind the lights and lug the boxes to the attic. But what to do with your living holiday decorations?
I called Holly Scoggins, associate professor and director of Hahn Horticulture Garden at Virginia Tech. As always, she was full of expert advice. She makes everything sound so easy and logical.
When I mentioned poinsettias she jumped right in to dispel the popular myth that poinsettias are toxic and that you shouldn't have them around small children and pets. Not true! While they have a sap that can be a mild skin irritant to some folks, they are not poisonous. Cross that off your worry list.
Holly says getting poinsettias to rebloom year after year seems to be a badge of honor for some serious gardeners, but she's never seen it done successfully. Here's why.
Poinsettias in their natural habitat are big shrubs. The ones on our dining room tables are treated with plant growth regulators to keep them densely compact. (The regulators aren't available to non-professionals.) They are the product of intense greenhouse cultivation -- ideal light, water and fertilizer. It's impossible to duplicate those conditions in your guest room.
But if you must try, you should pinch back your plant when the color fades and continue to water often. Next fall, pay special attention to dramatically shortening the amount of light it gets every day. That's what triggers the coloring process.
But don't be surprised when it attracts spider mites that spread to your other houseplants. And don't be surprised if all you get for your efforts is a leggy, sickly-green plant you wouldn't want on the mantle.
Holly recommends throwing them on the compost pile and buying more next year. It's a great way to support our local greenhouse growers.
In eastern North Carolina, my brother Clay has had great success with the amaryllis bulbs he forces for indoor winter bloom. He plants them in the garden every spring and they rebloom every year. I'm going to try some in a protected area on the south side of my house, but it's dicey in our garden zone.
According to Holly, an indoor amaryllis garden is easy. Once the bloom has faded, cut off the bloom stalk. Leave the foliage to slowly wither. Continue to water and fertilize lightly. You can certainly move the pots outside after the danger of frost has passed.
Next October, move the pots inside to a low-light area and let them dry out. Amaryllis is a native of South Africa and dry soil triggers a necessary dormant period. After about eight weeks, trim the dead leaves, move to a sunny window, begin regular watering and they'll take off.
Years ago I gave my mother-in-law, Sarah, an amaryllis for her kitchen window. She has a real "touch" with plants. Every few years she'd dig up the bulbs, knock off the baby bulblettes and re-pot them. In 10 years every windowsill was crowded with pots of magnificent red blooms. It was a showstopper.
Lots of you force paperwhites for the holidays. I'm just getting mine started now as I enjoy the fresh green and sweet scent in the gray, dreary days of late January. No matter when they finish blooming, if the ground isn't frozen they can be put in the garden. Or you can put them aside and plant in the spring. Don't trim the foliage -- that's how the bulbs feed themselves for a healthy bloom next time.
