November 5

Winter is around the corner and it is time to revisit some of the information I gave you last year. If you have been reading my blog, you know that I posted a number of articles last fall on getting ready for the winter.  So rather than repeating myself, I thought I should give you a summary and tell you where to get more information.

You should have already brought your houseplants into a protected area with the intent of taking them inside. There are two postings from last September that are good references for bringing your plants back in as well as saving some of your favorite garden plants through cuttings. 

Green For Christmas

Begonias are easy plants to start from
cuttings and will root quickly

New plants from cuttings are inexpensive Christmas gifts and now is the time to get them started.  Even friends with 'not to green thumbs' love to get plants as gifts, especially if it is from someone whose gardening skills they admire. The post entitled Saving Your Favorites tell you how to make a Propagation Container to created new plants from cuttings. Choose something that they have admired in your home and trim just below a leaf nod. You will need at least one remaining leaf and one nod with leaf removed for a good cutting. The not with the leaf removed will be buried in your potting medium. Here is a link to a diagram showing the Parts of a Plant. You can see that the nod is where the leaf has emerged from the stem.  The bud right above the leaf is where the root will emerge. The amount of time to get a good root is between 4 to 6 weeks so don't wait. Of course you could use the new plants as boxing day gifts or if you want a little more show, start now for spring.

Red for Christmas

The poinsettias you saved from last year should be placed in a spot that will give them a full 10 hours of darkness.  They can take up to 7 weeks to develop buds. My favorite trick is to place the plant in the closet when you get home from work around 6 or 7 P.M. and take it out on you way to work around 6 or 7 A.M.  Check out my January posting So what are you going to do with your poinsettia now? for more detail.

The Legend of Poinsettias

A charming story is told of Pepita, a poor Mexican girl who had no gift to present the Christ Child at Christmas Eve services. As Pepita walked sorrowfully to church, her cousin Pedro tried to console her. "Pepita," he said, "I am certain that even the most humble gift, given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes." Pepita gathered a bouquet of common weeds from the roadside, for this was the only gift she could give. As she entered the chapel and approached the alter, her spirits lifted. Forgetting the humbleness of her gift, the girl laid the weeds at the feet of the Christ Child. Suddenly, Pepita's ordinary weeds burst into brilliant red blooms! This miraculous event was named the Flores de Noche Buena, or Flowers of the Holy Night. Today, we call these flowers poinsettias.

Today, Poinsettias come in a variety of colors and patterns and new ones are introduced every year.  Some of my favorites are Jingle Bells, Merry Christmas 2, Lemon Drop and Pink Elf.  Keep an eye out for them to shake up the usual at Christmas.

More Color, Give Me More Color

You should be feeding your Holiday Cactus as they are getting ready to put on their show.  Plant your Amaryllis Bulbs and your Paperwhites. If you haven't kept any bulbs from previous years, give yourself an early Christmas present.  These also make great hostess gifts for Thanksgiving. December 2012 postings will give you more information along with some great links on how to start and care for these plants.  

That's all for today.  Please comment on this post and tell me what you think. If I can help with any plant questions post them below or email me at houseplantsos@gmail.com . 

Sincerely,

k.k.jones