Melinda's Garden Moment Radio Tips
Melinda Myers
Nationally known gardening expert, TV/Radio host, author & columnist with over 30 years of horticulture experience and tons of gardening information to share! www.melindamyers.comMelinda's Garden Moment videos will help you create that beautiful landscape you’ve always wanted. Each week throughout the growing season, a new gardening video will be added right here, so be sure to stop back. You can also watch Melinda’s Garden Moments on your local network TV station affiliate.
Brighten the indoors and get into the holiday spirit by adding a few poinsettias to your indoor décor.
Select poinsettia plants with deep green leaves and colorful bracts, the leaf-like structures we call flowers. Always wrap the plants when moving them in cold weather. Remove the protective sleeves as soon as they arrive to a warm location.
Next bend foil edges down so light can reach all of the leaves. Punch holes in the foil for proper drainage or place a few pebbles in the bottom of the foil wrapper to elevate the pot above any standing water.
Keep the soil moist not wet and place the plants in a cool, bright location free from drafts of hot or cold air.
If yellow leaves develop, do a bit of detective work. Make sure there is not standing water in the foil, basket or saucer. Dump any excess water that has collected. Adjust your watering schedule to avoid overly wet or dry soil. And, move the plants to a brighter location.
A bit more information: Once the holidays have passed, move your poinsettia to a sunny window. Continue to water thoroughly whenever the top few inches of potting mix are slightly moist. You can move the plant outdoors for the warm summer months and bring it back in before cold weather returns. Staring October 1st grow your plant in a sunny window, allow the soil to go slightly dry and each night give the plant 14 hours of total darkness. With luck, you will have colorful bracts for Christmas.