What is an outdoor Christmas plant?
An outdoor Christmas plant is a cold-tolerant, usually evergreen plant grown outside during the holiday season to provide festive color, texture, and decoration through winter. If you have the necessary space in your garden and want to share your coniferous tree with other garden residents, plant your potted Christmas tree outside in the spring after the last frosts. This will give the tree the chance to live for several decades.
What is the traditional Christmas plant?
Well known for their distinctive scarlet leaves, poinsettias are a popular house plant over the Christmas period. Grow poinsettia in a draught-free spot with bright, indirect light and a temperature of around 13-15°C. Water sparingly, typically when the surface of the compost has started to dry out. Mist the leaves and bracts regularly to increase humidity and keep the colourful bracts looking their best for longer.January-May: Give your plant plenty of sun and enough water to stay moist, but not soggy. Fertilize every 2 weeks. In early April, prune to 6-8 inches tall. June: Repot with fresh soil and move your poinsettia outdoors where it can get 6-8 hours of direct sunlight.Poinsettias like evenly moist soil—never too dry or too soggy. Check Moisture: Water when the top inch feels dry. Drainage: Water thoroughly but remove any excess from the saucer. Frequency: Typically once per week depending on temperature and humidity.Poinsettias can be kept year after year, and they will bloom each year if you give them proper care. When the leaves begin to yellow or when the plant is no longer desired as an ornamental, gradually withhold water.
Can Christmas plants live outside?
But, once we’re past freezing weather, you can keep your poinsettia in a pot outdoors, but be sure to protect it from the full sun, especially harsh afternoon light, and mulch it well, to keep the air around the plant moist. It will need to be cut back and fertilized through the summer. If you do decide to save your poinsettia for next year, follow these tips from Vollmer: After the holidays, place your plant in a bright window for maximum light levels. After April 1, remove any colored bracts, and prune or shape the plant until August so that it gets bushier and more full.Poinsettias will classically drop their leaves if they are exposed to sudden changes in temperature, drafts or overly cool or dry rooms. They also will lose leaves and wilt in response to an extreme need for water.These slowly fill with water, letting the plants drink from the bottom up—so the roots get exactly what they need without ever wetting the foliage. And here’s your at-home hack 👉 Place your poinsettia in a sink or basin with a few centimetres of water and let it absorb from the base. Works for most houseplants too!With proper care, poinsettia bracts can be maintained until about March or April. Once they begin to fall, cut the plant back, leaving about six buds. For the first couple of weeks, the plant will resemble a stick. Water and fertilize as before, and by May it will begin to leaf out again.
How long does a Christmas plant last?
In ideal conditions, a poinsettia can look good well into February, while committed plant owners can keep the plant alive year-round – and even encourage it to re-flower the following Christmas. However, once the tiny yellow flowers at the centre of the bracts drop, the plant may no longer look its festive best. Pruning your poinsettia is important to encourage healthy growth and prepare it for the next flowering phase. After flowering, poinsettias lose their beautiful leaves and become bare. Cutting back the shoots encourages vigorous growth.Key Takeaways. Monitor soil moisture closely; both underwatering and overwatering can stress your poinsettia. Keep your poinsettia away from drafts and maintain a stable, warm environment between 65-75F. Provide bright, indirect light to prevent legginess and leaf burn; balance is key.Most people don’t know this, but poinsettias should never be top-watered. Keep water off the leaves—those colourful bracts can spot or wilt fast!If you choose to keep it alive year round as a houseplant, a poinsettia can last for 10 or even 20 years. In its native habitat, it can grow into a 10- to 15-foot shrub and live for decades, but kept as a houseplant it will stay small.