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Poinsettia
Keep your poinsettias looking great all year long with these tips:
- Purchase poinsettias that look very fresh, avoiding those
with waterlogged soil.
- Choose a poinsettia with a healthy, fully open, yellow
center portion. If the edges of these yellow bracts are green,
the plant is still immature.
- Remove decorative paper, foil or plastic covers that wrap
plants. If you'd like to keep the decorative display of foils or
paper, carefully remove it from only the bottom of the container
to allow for drainage.
- Water thoroughly when soil feels dry to the touch, but do
not leave in water.
- Place poinsettias in indirect sunlight at least six hours a
day.
- Keep away from drafts, ducts and fireplaces.
- Once it stops blooming, cut the plant to 8 inches above the
container, then place outdoors when nighttime temperatures stay
above 55 degrees. Water as needed.
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Caring for Your
Live Christmas Tree
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Container-grown evergreen trees often have a better
chance of survival than balled and burlapped trees. It
is important to dig the hole for the tree before the
ground freezes so you can plant the tree easily after
the holidays. Fill this hole with leaves or mulch so it
does not freeze, then cover it with a board. Store the
excavated soil in a spot where it won't freeze.
If you can't
dig the hole before the ground freezes, overwinter the
tree in a cool space that gets some light. The
temperature where the tree is stored should be above
freezing but below 50 degrees. Water the tree as
needed.
After you
buy the evergreen tree, acclimate it to the house by
placing it in a protected place for a week, such as in
an unheated garage or shed. The tree will dry out
quickly, so keep its roots moist and its branches
misted.
Indoors,
keep the tree away from heat. The cooler the
temperature and the shorter the tree's time indoors, the
better. Don't let the room get warmer than 68 degrees
or keep the tree inside the house longer than a week.
After the holidays, harden-off the tree by returning it
to its protected place for a week; then plant it if
weather permits. Fill the hole with the soil you have
stored, then water. Mulch around the tree, and water it
during the winter
and spring, as needed. |
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