Grandma’s Lily

Clivia miniata thrives as a houseplant, even though it’s an outdoor lily in warmer climates. It’s easy to grow, has spectacular blooms in late winter and stays a glossy dark green the rest of the year.

Cluster of three orange lilies with one bud.
Clivia miniata bears flowers in clusters.

The flowers I sent to his funeral included the orange daylilies I asked for.  He was my husband’s friend, the first one I met. He became my friend too.

We couldn’t make it to the service several states away. Child in school, jobs and limited finances made it impossible.

I was hoping to send an earthly message to him that we knew him and always would know him. And I wanted some orange daylilies similar to the flowers on the indoor plants that he’d given us when he moved back home to his family, his town.

‘Grandma’s Lily’ he called it. That was his nickname for the division of a plant his grandmother had given him.

He remembered that I loved it the first time I saw it hanging in a west facing window of his house. Suspended from a simple knotted hanger in a clay pot, its slightly glossy, thick green strappy leaves formed layers to the right and left of center like well-behaved hair parted in the middle, falling to either side.

No flowers at the time, just a healthy green plant. Orange trumpet shaped blooms popped out a few months later, several together on a sturdy stem above the leaves. This calm plant didn’t prepare us for the spectacular show of flowers!

We were happy he gave us two plants as a parting gift when he moved.

Funny how something passed from one person to another can mean so much especially when it becomes a connection to someone no longer alive. Always a remembrance of our friendship, they flower every year at the end of a dreary winter.

They’re even more special now – a bittersweet reminder of the time we learned that our friend died in a car accident only a few weeks after the most prolific blooms we’d ever seen on our plants. The flowers were a happy burst of life – “remember me!” – before the shocking farewell to our friend.

Glossy strap-like leaves cascade over each other.
Glossy strap-like leaves curve over each other.

Features

Clivia miniata is considered a slow growing plant and takes several years to become mature in size. It blooms once it’s mature.

Native to: South Africa

Name refers to: Its common name as a lily – Natal lily, bush lily or fire lily doesn’t mean it is in the Lily family. It’s in the Amaryllis family.

Zones: 9-11

Leaves: Dark green straps curve over one another; approximately 2″ wide and 18″ long.

Blooms: Cluster of trumpet shaped flowers. The most common color is intense orange with a yellow center. There are also plants with blooms from white to peach to red.

Height: 1.5 – 2 feet

Width: 2 – 3 feet

Grows from: Rhizomes – those thick stems that grow horizontally underground.

They store plant nutrients and produce new plants. Stems of a new plant grow out of the ground from the rhizomes’ nodes as do new roots.

Three lily buds.
Buds at the ends of flower stems.

Care

Indoors

  • Sunlight: Bright but avoid direct sun as it may scorch the leaves.
  • Soil: Average potting soil.
  • Water: Test the soil to see if it needs water. Overwatering causes the rhizomes to rot.
  • Fertilize: Feed once or twice in spring with standard fertilizer.
Many lily plants crowded in one pot.
Many lily plants crowded in one pot increases the blooms.
  • Other: Blooms indoors in late winter by keeping it on the dry side through most of the cold season. Definitely water when buds on stems appear. Since older plants bloom be patient with younger, smaller plants.

This plant likes to be crowded in a pot which also increases blooming. Repot only every 3-4 years. Divide for new plants by removing the young plants from the parent plant.

Outdoor

Can summer outside in the colder zones by placing in part or dappled shade. Water well.

Problems/Pests

A warning that all parts of the plant are toxic to people and animals.

Cats that like to chew on strap-like or blade leaf plants should be kept away. You can give cats their own pots of grassy plants to chew through kits available at stores.

Pests include mites and scales.

Seed heads of lilies after flowering.
Seed heads follow the dried out blooms.

Uses

Decorative even without the blooms because of the sturdy, glossy leaves. Flowers can be cut for an arrangement in a vase. Blooms last longer if left on the plant.

We have photos, memories and a large colorful glazed pot he had his brother make for our wedding present. But as a lasting reminder of our friendship it’s nice to have a living gift that flowers every year, popping into our life at the end of a dreary winter – the blooms say he’s still with us.

References

Guide to Houseplants

House Plants Expert

Missouri Botanical Gardens

Copyright Juli Seyfried 2020

Four Ways to Use Grape Ivy Indoors and Out

Grape Ivy is easy to grow and use in your décor. See how many ways you can design with it!

Grape ivy spills over the edge.
Grape ivy spills over the shelf edge. Can you find the basket that holds it?

In a restaurant Grape ivy hangs like a leafy green waterfall that never touches the ground. A plant hanger firmly attached to the ceiling disappears into the graceful but exuberant leaves to keep a little order to this cascade.

Similar hanging plants add calm to the restaurant‘s atmosphere. It’s a place for peace and quiet and good friends and family and good food.

I know I want to sit near this silent but rambunctious looking plant cascade.

A forest experience at dinner. Why not have this at home? Maybe I could grow one there.

Grape ivy or Cissus alata is a tropical plant adapted for indoor use. Keep it inside all year or bring it outside during summer in a hanging pot.

Train it to climb a trellis placed inside a standing pot on your porch. There are other ways to use it too!

Features

Native to:  Tropical Americas

Name refers to:  The Old English word for ivy is ifig.

Zones:  10-12

Leaves:  One stem produces a dark green, three lobed leaf which has deep ragged cuts on its edges.

Blooms:  Rare for indoor plants – a tiny cluster of pale green flowers with four petals may later produce dark purple to black berries.

Grape ivy tendrils grasp leaves of another plant.
Grape ivy tendrils grasp leaf stems of another plant.

Tendrils:  The tendrils curl and grasp whatever is at hand to support the vine.

Keep an eye on the small hair – like tendrils.  Like tiny fingers they wrap around and hold tight. 

They’ll grasp at anything nearby including lamps, other plants and window blinds!

Height:  6-10 feet

Width:  3-6 feet

Grows from:  Make new plants by rooting the stem cuttings.

Indoor Care

  • Sunlight:  Bright, indirect sunshine.
  • Soil:  Standard potting mix.
  • Water:  Thoroughly water then let the soil dry.  Too much or too little water causes leaves to get dry and crunchy.

Test for dryness of the soil in the pot once a week.   

  • Fertilize:  In spring and summer use standard organic fertilizer following package instructions.

Problems/Pests

White fly, mealybug, spider mites – keeping a regular routine of watering and fertilizing and pinching back should prevent problems.

Grape ivy hangs over a shelf.
Grape ivy’s dark green leaves mix it up with paler green leaves for a bicolor effect.

Uses

As an easy to grow indoor plant grape ivy has many uses.  Here are some ideas to try:

Hanging

Let the new growth hang below the pot making sure it doesn’t wander into and grab onto your other plants or special décor.

Wind new growth up a plant hanger then let it trail down from the top. Makes a good hanging screen for porches too.

Trailing

Place your grape ivy on an old piece of furniture and watch it spread out.  Let it hang over the ledge of a bookcase, cupboard or open shelf.

The tendrils may damage the finish which is why an old piece that you don’t care about is recommended.

Grape ivy tendrils curl on its own stem.
Grape ivy tendrils curl on its own stem.

Climbing

Anything that works as a trellis – a room dividing screen, a pole or a small outdoor trellis brought inside works.

Anchor the pole or trellis at the base, inside of a large pot.

You can gently tie the vines onto the frame you choose with florist tape, pipe cleaners or strips of old rags.

The tendrils will grasp onto the frame and you can remove the ties or leave on for extra support. Eventually the plant forms a screen.

Train it on a topiary form using the same method as above, creating an eye catching piece.

Short and Bushy

If you don’t want trailing or climbing stems, keep the vines short. You’ll have a more compact and lush looking plant this way.

Root the cuttings in water to make new plants to keep or share.

Hanging, trailing, climbing or short and bushy this plant gives you options for your designs. Since it’s easy to grow, Grape ivy keeps the fun in your decorative plans.

References

Gardening Know How

Missouri Botanical Garden

North Carolina State Extension

Copyright Juli Seyfried 2020

Paperwhite Narcissus and December Birthdays

Paperwhite Narcissus grows indoors on stones set in water.
Paperwhite Narcissus displays abundant flowers indoors.
Photo: Pixabay

December birthdays share the month with the anticipation, preparation and celebration of several holidays.  Paperwhite Narcissus is considered the birthday flower for December.

While there are many birthday bouquets to buy at the florist, Narcissus is not available.

If you want a bouquet of December’s birth flower you’ll have to grow your own. There are kits or bags of bulbs to buy although maybe not in time to grow a bouquet for a December birthday.

Holly and Poinsettia are also mentioned as flowers for December birthdays, but Narcissus is listed most often.

The first two are usually related to Christmas traditions which may or may not matter to some.

Birth months throughout history have been celebrated with a special flower to mark the month.  Did the tradition begin with the flower that was in season, the one flower that grew in abundance that month? I’m guessing so.

In different parts of the world, Narcissus grows easily because the climate and soil conditions are just right. In colder areas of the U.S., daffodil, a common name for the narcissus pops out of the ground in spring.

Paperwhite Narcissus or Narcissus tazetta in colder zones, is grown as a forced bulb indoors in November through February or March.

It symbolizes faithfulness.  Maybe it should also symbolize adaptability or being accommodating?

Since December birthdays share the month with many holidays and the birth flower isn’t available, being adaptable goes with having a birthday in December.

Poinsettias are alternative to Narcissus because they are available for sale.
Poinsettias are an alternate flower to give the December birthday person in your life.

About December Birthdays

The closer it is to one of the holidays, the harder it may be for the birthday person to feel special, since most of the month’s focus is on group holidays. One person’s birthday party might seem over the top – too much partying!

Alas! It puts family and friends to the test to prove they care by making sure December birthday-ers feel important.

In my case, my family celebrates Christmas. I know of four people with birthdays in December: my parents, a close friend and me.

Both of my parents have birthdays close to Christmas.

Unfortunately, my Dad is one who felt slighted by having his birthday on the 24th. His memory was of sharing his big day with a brother and sister.

Each of them was allowed to open a Christmas present on his birthday.  I’m guessing it was to keep them happy.  He did not get to open any gifts for himself on their birthdays later in the year.

My family always had a big celebration for him on his day, including his favorite food and drink. Although gone now, I honor his memory with his favorite food, minus the fruitcake with caramel sauce, on Christmas Eve.

Apparently he did like some holiday-specific food for his birthday! And my aunt made a fruitcake and mailed it to him every year in time for his big day.

Mom’s memory of her birthday close to Christmas is one she remembers fondly.  She was told that Santa came early and hung her on the Christmas tree with a big red bow!

Since her day is a few days away from December 25 it’s easier to separate her celebration from that day.  Honoring her birthday is usually lunch or dinner with gifts.

She’s happy that her children remember her day with cards, phone calls and most especially if they can be with her in person.

My best friend from college has a mid-December birthday. Just right! Not too close to either Thanksgiving or Christmas. We send each other humorous or serious cards depending on the mood and/or age that year.

What a relief to share the same number birthday with a friend whose date is ten days after mine!  It’s one of many things we have in common.

My birthday is at the beginning of December, close enough to Thanksgiving that sometimes it was celebrated during that weekend, not the day of.  Family/friends were available then but often not on my exact day.

I imagine there are many who have birthdays they celebrate close to the actual date but not the day of. It’s important to share the event with those who care about us and make us feel special.

For me, Thanksgiving is the beginning of party season and my birthday rolls into a month long celebration ending with New Year’s Eve. It’s a happy time of year for me.

If my gifts were wrapped in holiday paper I don’t remember.  My favorite cake as a child had white coconut frosting and red and white peppermint candy canes on it.

My day is far enough away from Christmas that it feels more like a hint of what’s to come.

Creating traditions using cues from the season at hand makes a birthday unique. Flowers are a part of happiness – making, even if some of us have to grow our birth flower.

How to Grow Narcissus

Features

Native to:  Southern Europe and North Africa

Name refers to:  In Greek mythology, Narcissus falls in love with his reflection in a pool of water. (By contrast, December birthdays don’t have much time for self indulgence – it’s group time!)

Zones:  8-11

Leaves:  Long straps of green stand upright.  

Blooms:  Small, fragrant trumpet shaped flowers.

Height: 8-20 inches depending on the cultivar.

Grows from:   Bulbs.

Grows: Inside as a forced bulb.

Three waterproof pots to grow Paperwhite Narcissus.
Examples of three kinds of waterproof pots for growing Paperwhite Narcissus.

Paperwhite narcissus grows easily indoors in pots filled with stones and water.  Here’s how:

Tools

  • Shallow (3-4 inches high) waterproof pot without drainage holes – like glazed ceramic flower pots, coffee cups, glass bowls.
  • Clean gravel or stones.
  • Water.

Assembly

  • Place 1-2 inches of stones in bottom of pot.
  • Set bulbs on top with flat side resting on stones, top pointy side up.
  • Put some stones around bulbs to keep bulbs in place.
  • Add water just to the bottom of the bulbs.  Caution: don’t let bulbs sit in water as they will rot.
  • Place in a cool sunny window.
  • As green shoots come up rotate the pot slightly every couple of days.  This will keep the shoots growing straight and not bending toward the light.
  • If the leaves and flowers begin to flop over, place a small stake in the center. Tie twine or raffia to the stake. Gather the falling leaves and wrap them in a circle of twine and tie it to the twine itself.

In approximately 2-3 weeks they bloom.  Flowers last about 1-2 weeks.

Some people plant these bulbs in succession to keep the flowers coming. Bulbs planted in succession make the display last throughout winter.

To do this, either divide up the bulbs you bought and save some or buy a couple of packages. Have a few extra waterproof containers ready, as well as clean stones.

Follow the directions above, but plant another pot two weeks after you planted the first set of bulbs. Plant yet another pot two weeks after the second set.

Once bloom time is over plants are finished and unlikely to bloom again. You can throw them out or if organically grown throw them in the compost pile.

Uses

Brighten up any room with a cool, sunny window. Their fragrance makes you think spring is here even when it’s cold, gray and nasty outside with six more weeks of winter to go!

December’s not the only month with a lot to do. Activities and celebrations happen all year long. Remeber a birthday in a special way and time of year doesn’t matter. Just don’t make them grow their own birth flower!

References

Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

NC State Extension

SFGate

How to Make Some Fresh Flowers Last Longer

Simple Tips to Keep Blooms Looking Good

Winter in many parts of the country can be on the dreary side. The lights and colors of holiday events in November and December are over. Landscapes are buried under winter snowstorms. Spring is many weeks away. Too many.

How do you perk up your living space and spirits?  How about some fresh flowers greeting you indoors?

Florists are great for special events for friends and family! Some offer good deals on a simple bouquet too.

When you want flowers for your own home you
don’t take the time to go to a florist. Instead you pick up a bouquet in groceries or big box stores when shopping.

Here are a few tips to make your pick-me-up-bouquets last longer.

1. Choose flowers that last more than a week.

Mums (Chrysanthemums)

Come in many colors and different flower shapes.  Some shapes include pom pom and spoon, a tiny scoop on the end of the petal. Some remind you of a daisy. It is the flower of November birthdays.

Carnations

Many colors tempt you. It is easy for florists to dye the flower a different color from its original one. Colors in carnations have different meanings. Used as a symbol of many events around the world as well. It has a small scent.  It is the birthday flower of January.

Alstroemeria

Comes in many colors. Sometimes called the Peruvian Lily.

Roses

Who doesn’t love a rose? Such a versatile flower too. Different colors have different meanings. The number of roses you give has meaning, although one is as beautiful as a dozen.

Many people buy roses for the scent as much as for the delicately layered petal flower.

Roses are used in beauty products, rose hip tea and potpourri.

They last beyond the fresh stage and make wonderful dry arrangements.  June is National Rose month. It is the flower of June birthdays.

Sunflowers

This bright sunny flower has many uses.  Food for animals, birdseed and yellow dye are just a few.

Statice

Often used as fillers or accents in bouquets. Comes in many colors. The one most often seen in bouquets is purple and has a larger flower than the tiny ones grown in the garden. These keep their color well when they dry – a medium purple with green leaf and beige stem.

Baby’s Breath

Often used as filler in bouquets. Very small flowers in sprays. Holds color and shape well when dry. Lasts indefinitely as a dried flower. Turns a cream color after a few months.

2. Choose a fresh bouquet.

Signs of less than fresh flowers: brown edges on flower petals or petals look as if they might fall off. Wilted leaves suggest decay.

Sometimes there’s a few wilted flowers or leaves in the color you really want.  If you buy the bouquet realize it might not last as long as you’d like.

3. How to Keep Flowers Alive as Long as Possible

When first home:

  • Use a clean vase. After every use wash the vase and add a little bleach to the water to kill bacteria. Rinse well.
  • Fill the vase with water for the flowers. Add the packet of preservative that comes with the flowers.
  • Cut stems at an angle under water to prevent air bubbles. Air in the stems prevents them from taking up water. Florists have learned how to do this safely with a knife.
  • You’re better off using small pruning shears. Partially fill a sink or large tub with cool water. Cut each stem under water. The stem can take up water right away.
  • Remove leaves from the part of the stem that will go under water. Helps eliminate rot. Set stems in the ready to use vase.
  • Place your arrangement in a cool, low light spot. Keep away from heat sources such as sun, lamps and vents that provide the house with heat.
  • Ripening fruit will cause flowers to wilt sooner so keep fruit in another place.

After a few days:

  • Change water often – every other day or at least every two days.
  • Remove flowers that are losing petals, leaves that are wilting.
  • After a week cut back healthy flower stems. Take a good look at the stem. You can see where the stem is starting to shrivel even while green. Cut above the shriveled spot on an angle under water as before. May need a smaller clean vase for your remaining but shorter flowers.

Some other methods to preserve flowers:

Pro Flowers tested many kinds of home remedies on vases of flowers to see which worked the best. Maybe your favorite was tested in this article by Erica Daniels.

The winners in their test:  Put in refrigerator overnight – approximately 8 hours. Florists keep their stock in refrigeration units.  After all, you pluck flowers out of coolers at the store!

Adding one quarter cup of lemon-lime soda to a vase of water also passed the test.

Dry flowers for an even longer lasting arrangement:

Some people hang flowers upside down by their stems in a cool, dark but dry place for a couple of weeks.

The easiest way to dry them is to just let the water evaporate from the vase once you’re done preserving the fresh flowers.

This may look like a vase of dead flowers and it is. But seeing the possibility of a dried arrangement in this affair is not that difficult!

Once the flowers are dry they can be rearranged as a dried flower bouquet. Use each kind alone in a vase. Add to an existing dried flower arrangement.

Make them an accent in a dried wreath.  Just handle gently because due to dryness they are more likely to fall apart.

Dried roses look pretty inside a glass vase piled one on top of the other.  Break apart the petals for potpourri in a bowl.

One bunch of flowers can go the distance and then some. Make it a contest to see how long you can keep your fresh flower bouquet going!

References

Proflowers.com blog article: How to Make Flowers Last Longer: 9 Tricks by Erica Daniels, published May 17, 2018

Copyright Juli Seyfried 2019

Peperomia: Undemanding Houseplant

Grow several kinds of Peperomia – they don’t ask much!

“Give it up, it’s dead.”

That was gardening advice I got as a college freshman from some guys visiting us from another dorm. The cute little green plant I bought and placed in the special little ceramic pot was no more. It was a little stump, shriveled and brown.

“I thought it might grow back,” I said.

Laughter all around. And the conversation moved on to other things.

I pretended not to care but inside I was crushed. I had killed it. Maybe I couldn’t grow plants – all plants.

The thing was, I bought this little plant on a visit to a local garden shop. I knew after this trip I really wanted to grow houseplants:

Just curious and with nothing else to do, a group of us walk to a campus houseplant store we’d heard about. Upstairs on the second level of an old wooden building we see plants covering the inside of the windows like living curtains. This is it.

Through the door and it’s magic! Humidity in the air thickens the earthy smell of living greenery. Everywhere rows and rows of small happy plants grow in black plastic containers, a different kind in every row.

Larger potted plants sit in any available space showing off shiny or fuzzy or textured leaves, some with flowers. From rafters, hanging plants trailing lush leafy stems catch my head and shoulders as I walk by. Endless colors and textures up and down.

I want to be a part of this lively tangle – or at least bring a little of it to my dorm room.

A wondrous plant store. A purchase of a small Peperomia and a ceramic pot. The beginning of a lifelong fascination with growing plants.

Back at the dorm, the cute little plant sat on my dorm dresser. In a ceramic pot measuring two inches across it dried out pretty quickly.

The dresser was right next to the steam heat radiator. Behind the radiator was the window giving light to our room and the plant. The radiator pumped out so much good warm heat that to balance the temperature, we had to open the window to get some cold winter air.

Super hot air and super cold air and not enough water – I was right.  I did kill the plant. Not because I wanted to. I just didn’t think of the needs of this pretty living plant that I dressed up in a cute ceramic pot. Once I figured out that there was a little more to this plant growing fascination, I was up for the challenge of growing all kinds of plants.

Despite my poor gardening start, Peperomia has turned out to be one of the easiest plants to grow because it’s really not too demanding.   

Features of Peperomia

  • Native to:  Tropical areas in Central and South America.

Name:  Piperaceae family which counts peppers as a member.

  • Leaves:  The reason they are so popular as a houseplant! There are many different shapes, textures and designs in leaves.   

The three most common ones sold at neighborhood stores are:

Watermelon Peperomia – Smooth, striped leaf that look like its namesake.

Emerald Ripple Peperomia – Ridges and valleys on each leaf.

Baby Rubber Plant Peperomia – Round thick leaf. One variety is all green, the other yellow green marbling. Not related to the true rubber tree.

More varieties are available online.   

  • Blooms:  Shaped like a rat or mouse tail – greenish reddish stalk, ending in a pale green or cream fuzzy tip.
  • Height: Varies by species but can be a few inches in the trailing varieties to 12 inches for upright plants. 
  • Width: Varies by species.

Care

Sunlight:  Bright but indirect light. Too much sun burns the leaves. Grows well in fluorescent light.

Soil: Medium potting soil that drains well. Repot when it outgrows the current one. Use the next size pot – too much soil holds water which creates potential for rot.

Water:  Check to see if most of potting soil is dried out. Water well every week to week and a half.

Fertilize:  Light use of soluble fertilizer spring through fall.

Propagation: Grows from seeds, roots, cuttings either from leaves or stems. Most grow new plants by rooting a stem cutting.  When making a cut be sure a node, the lumpy joint of the stem where leaves appear, is close to the bottom of the cut stem. Place in water. New roots grow from the node.

Problems/Pests

Root rot is the biggest problem. They don’t require a lot of water.

Some things I’ve learned:  Pay attention to the plant’s growth requirements. Some plants are easier to grow than others. Don’t give up on a plant. Try another strategy or two, but know when to move on.  I never did successfully grow the first variety of Peperomia that I bought. I have done well with others!

Copyright 2019 Juli Seyfried

5 Ways to Add Humidity to Indoor Plants


Indoor heat is very drying for all parts of the houseplant. Tips on what to do.

Winter time in the garden is special. Minus the leaves and flowers the bare architecture of the landscape is visible. When a cold weather front comes through everything is covered with frost or ice or snow. Each frozen form of water creates a different scene with the natural structures!

When temperatures outside drop, heating systems inside turn on. Indoor air gets dry and so do people, pets and plants. For plants in particular, this means struggling to thrive or even stay alive. Time for action!

Signs of distress:

  • Stricken look of the whole plant. It’s not full and green. It looks stiff.
  • Plant begins to droop.
  • Stems wither or shrink. They have ridges where they should be filled out and smooth.
  • Leaf edges are brown and crunchy.
  • Before they open buds dry up and fall off. New flowers that survive the bud stage, dry up.
  • Insects like spider mites take over because they thrive in hot dry conditions.

First Solution:

Keep up with watering needs of houseplants. Check water level in plant pots regularly. Since winter heat causes rapid loss of plant moisture, it may be necessary to water houseplants more often than in summer when the air conditioner is on.

Don’t forget dry heat in winter may cause succulents and cacti to dry out more quickly too. Their stems and leaves shrivel. While they need less water overall, drier conditions in the house can accelerate the need for more.

Five More Solutions:

Houseplants benefit from extra humidity in the air during winter.  Following are some common ways to increase humidity around your plants.

Non-energy user ways to humidify

1. Pebble tray

Use waterproof items like:

-A plastic tray with at least one half inch rim on all sides for several plants.

-Plastic saucer for one potted plant, again with at least one half inch rim all around.

-A ceramic or plastic pot with no holes in the bottom to serve as a sleeve to set your potted plant in.

-Get creative with the “tray” and use deep plates, old pie dishes, aluminum pans – whatever you find attractive.

Whichever you choose, the tray should be waterproof to protect the surface it sits on. Add a layer of pebbles, small smooth rocks, aquarium gravel or even small broken pottery to bottom of plastic tray or saucer or sleeve pot – the plant should stand on a level surface.

Add enough water to the pebbles so the plant sits on a dry surface. A water level just below the tops of the pebbles works well. Don’t allow plants to stand in water as that will cause root rot.

Set potted plant on top of the wet pebbles. As the water evaporates humidity increases around the plant.

Check the level every day or so until you figure out how often you need to replenish the water. Don’t let it go bone dry.

It’s tempting to water the plant in the tray allowing the runoff to serve as a humidity maker. What often happens is the runoff level goes above the rock layer and the plant winds up sitting in water.

To conserve water: water your plants over a bowl and use the runoff for the pebble trays.

2. Group like plants together

Whether using pebble trays or individual saucers or nothing at all, group like plants together based on their watering needs. Tropical plants for instance have the highest need for extra humidity. After all they are natives to balmy humid climates.

Grouping creates a sauna for them. As they transpire water from their leaves and soil, the humidity level increases for all.

Succulents and cacti need less watering. Group them together away from other plants to provide them the slightly drier environment they need.  

3. Bowls of water

Placing bowls of water in different spots near plants will increase the humidity. Make sure the surface area of the bowl is wide to allow the most evaporation.

All you have to do is check the water level every few days and figure out when to add more without letting the water level get too low or go dry.

4. Cloches and Terrariums

Sort of upside down or right side up keepers of humidity depending on how you look at them. These could be temporary solutions to winter dry air or a year round way to grow plants that require humidity.

Cloche: a glass bell shaped jar that’s open at the bottom. It’s placed on top of a plant to provide extra moisture for plants like ferns that thrive in high humidity.  Not only does it provide higher humidity, watering is reduced. 

Use of a glass cloche does require regular checking as air ventilation is limited. Keeping water in might work too well as the plant could have too much and rot. Propping open the bottom of the glass occasionally would provide some fresh air.

There are plastic cloches sold for outdoor plants that have a simple ventilation device at the top to regulate heat and moisture. A possible winter solution for creating moisture for indoor plants?

Terrarium: any shape glass jar that’s open at the top.  Plants grow in soil inside the jar. Ventilation of course comes from the top. Regularly check for water needs as humidity escapes more easily.

Another idea is to find glass jars even aquariums large enough to place a potted plant inside on a bed of pebbles. The enclosure provides extra humidity for a plant that needs it. Since watering might be a little tricky – remember no plant standing in runoff water, remove the plant to water.

Energy user way to humidify

5. Humidifier

Although an energy user, a room humidifier will improve the moisture in the air. Follow manufacturer’s directions.

Keeping houseplants happy with the right level of warmth and humidity makes the house an indoor garden during winter. It also means they’ll be ready for growing season once spring arrives.

Copyright 2019 Juli Seyfried

Poinsettia After the Holidays

Tips for growing Poinsettia as a houseplant and how to get it to rebloom.

What’s the best selling potted plant in the U.S. and Canada? Poinsettia – OK the title of this article gave it away. Another fact about this colorful plant:  most sales of it occur in the six week period before Christmas.  The best-selling plant in the country purchased in only six weeks!  In fact it may be impossible to find it in stores at any other time of the year.

A small shrub with a lively colorful leafy look, tiny yellow flowers peeking out from the branch tops, its base covered in shiny foil – green, red or gold.  Together several pots of Poinsettia take charge in a space instantly creating a stunning decoration for the holidays!

The combination of leaf shape, color and tiny flowers is appealing. Many green branches form this plant. Often each leaf on a long stem has several lobes. Uppermost on the plant the leaf is a solid color like the popular red one. Some cultivars have two tone splashes of color. Lower on the plant the leaf is green with veins of another color. Topped off with circles of tiny yellow flowers this plant steals the show!

Features

  • Native:  Southern Mexico on the Pacific coast continuing south to Guatemala.  They grow in tropical forests at mid – mountain elevations.
  • Name:  Honors Joel R. Poinsett who was an ambassador to Mexico from the United States in 1825 – 1829. He was also a botanist who brought the plant home to South Carolina.

December 12 is National Poinsettia Day honoring the man who is considered the father of the Poinsettia industry, Paul Ecke Jr.  The date chosen commemorates the day Joel R. Poinsett died.

  • Zones: 9-11
  • Leaves:  Modified leaves called bracts come in red, pink, burgundy, white, yellow and mottled or bicolored which look as if they’ve been splashed with a second color.
  • Blooms:  Tiny yellow flowers located in the middle of the bracts. No scent to detect.
  • Height:  In their native habitat they are considered a small tree or shrub and can grow from three to ten to even fifteen feet tall.

Cultivars sold as indoor plants range from a miniature three to six inches up to a large three feet.

  • Width: In nature they can grow three to seven feet wide.

Cultivars sold as indoor plants are generally about as wide as they are tall.

  • Safety:  A study done at The Ohio State University found poinsettias are not poisonous. Some people and pets have a reaction to the sap which is latex and that’s it! People and pets are not supposed to eat houseplants of any kind.  Curious children and pets should be kept away as a precaution.  If unsure about unpredictable kids or pets, don’t buy one. Instead visit and enjoy displays elsewhere.

Care

Keep for the season only:

Sunlight:  Indoors give it bright light but not direct light. Windowsills are generally too chilly for this tropical plant. It likes a warm 60 – 70 degrees (Fahrenheit) room with some humidity.

Fertilize:  No need.

Water:  Regularly but let top dry out before watering again. Too much water leads to root rot. Too little water causes the plant to dry out and drop leaves.

If keeping it in its foil wrap for decoration, remove plant from the foil, water it in the sink, let the water drain until finished and return plant in pot to the foil wrap.

Throw it in the compost pile at the end of the season.

Keep for next year:

Sunlight:  Indoors – same as above.

Outdoors:  Part shade in summer.  Watch the temperature!  This tropical plant likes temperatures between 6o -70 degrees (Fahrenheit).

Soil:  Potting mix for houseplants.  Remove it from the pot it came in and transfer it to the next size pot to give roots room to grow.

Water:   Same as above. Until it is moved outside it would benefit from sitting on a tray of moist pebbles for extra humidity.  No standing in water!

Fertilize:  Feed with standard houseplant fertilizer once a month.

Propagation:  Take cuttings from the plant in spring or early summer when it begins to grow again. Cuttings should have an exposed node – the bumpy joint where the leaf grows from the plant. Expose the joint by removing any leaves from it.  Roots grow from this spot.

Place cuttings in a sterile and moist growing medium such as sharp sand.  Water when top inch is dry, but don’t allow it to stand in water.  Mist the cuttings to keep the top leaves healthy.  When you can gently pull on the plant and it doesn’t come out of the growing medium, it has roots and is ready to go in its own pot of soil. New leaves will be green. 

How to get Poinsettia to rebloom:  Cut the plant back by midsummer. Keep a few leaves on the plant. If the plant has been outside, bring it in when temperatures drop below 60 degrees (Fahrenheit).

Beginning in October in addition to sunny days, the plant needs 14 hours of complete darkness at night. Some move the plant into a windowless room or closet where no light gets under the door.  Some cover the plant with something that is light blocking, again, so no light shines through or underneath.

However light is blocked, Poinsettia has to be in total darkness 14 hours every day until the plant’s bracts become colorful. Then stop moving it to a windowless room or covering it. Leave it in its day location and it should rebloom.

Problems/Pests

Water amounts are the biggest problem. Too much or too little causes leaf drop or root rot.

White sap that oozes out when the plant is cut can be a skin irritant for those with latex sensitivity. Wear gloves when working with the plant.

The usual houseplant insects and fungus attack plants. Clean off the insects. Check the watering and location. Perhaps it needs an adjustment.

Uses

Décor for the holidays is the most common reason people buy them. After the holidays remove the foil and transfer the plastic pot with plant into an every day pot like clay or ceramic. Follow directions above for growing them indoors.

Poinsettias shine during the holidays.  Dressed down for the remaining winter their colorful leaves make the home festive. Whether or not keeping them the rest of the year, they are a delight!

Copyright 2018 Juli Seyfried