The Christmas holidays give us the perfect excuse to get together with our loved ones, but also to decorate our house and / or garden with a series of plants that will accompany us during the celebrations and maybe something else if we provide them with a series of care.
And the reality of these crops is that they often end up in the compost heap or in the garbage container as soon as Kings Day passes, so we are going to do our bit so that you can enjoy them for a long time. more time explaining to you what are the care of Christmas plants.
Abeto
Image - Wikimedia / WikiCecilia
Image - Wikimedia / Nick
El fir tree It is a classic in these parties. It is widely used as a Christmas tree, and is therefore grown indoors. The problem is that we are talking about a plant accustomed to frost and snow, so that when we force it to be indoors for a few days, it is normal for it to weaken and die.
Abies are evergreen conifers that reach a height between 10 and 80 meters, and have green or blue-green needle-shaped leaves depending on the species. If we want our specimen to survive, We will have it outside all year round, in semi-shade or in full sun, and we will water it 1-2 times a week in winter. When spring returns, we can plant it in a larger pot or in the garden with fertile soil. They resist up to -20ºC.
El holly, whose scientific name is Holly aquifolium, is an evergreen tree that can grow between 6 and 15 meters in height. It has a straight trunk and a very branched crown from its base, so it is normal that it has more of a large bush and not so much of a tree itself. In addition, due to its slow growth it can be used as a hedge, since it tolerates pruning.
But although many are grown indoors during Christmas, it is important that you keep in mind that it must be taken abroad, in a garden, terrace or balcony. It is a plant that resists up to -20ºCbut not the conditions of the home. Likewise, it must be in semi-shade, in a soil or substrate rich in nutrients, and it must be watered 1-2 times a week in winter (in summer the frequency should be higher).
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Christmas cactus
Image - Flickr / Maja Dumat
El christmas cactus: Schlumbergera truncata, it is a cactus plant with hanging or creeping stems up to 60 centimeters long formed by segments that fulfill the same function as the leaves; that is, they carry out photosynthesis. It blooms in winter-spring, sometimes coinciding with the Christmas holidays. These flowers arise from the end of the stems, and are white, red, pink or purple.
It is a plant that does not withstand the cold, so if the temperatures in your area drop below 0 degrees you should keep it indoors. Put it in a room where it is very bright, and where it is as far away from drafts as possible (also from heating). Water it little, no more than twice a week and only if the soil is dry. In spring you can start to pay it, and if necessary, plant it in a larger pot with black peat mixed with perlite in equal parts.
La poinsettia is a deciduous shrub whose scientific name is Euphorbia pulcherrima. It can measure up to 4 meters in height, and its crown branches but not too much. The leaves are green, lance-shaped or ovate-elliptical, and it blooms in winter. The inflorescences are composed of bracts (modified leaves that replace the petals) that are usually red in color, although they can be yellow or pink. In the center we will find the true flowers: small and greenish-yellow.
It is the Christmas plant par excellence, since it naturally blooms in winter-spring, and if it is also prevented from receiving light for 12 hours from October until the Christmas holidays, we will get it to do so precisely on these very important dates. (more information in this article). Anyway, you have to know that indoors he does not like to be very much, since the currents of air, and the low environmental humidity harm it.
Therefore, we recommend keeping it in a room where it is very bright, and add a small spoonful (of the coffee ones) of nitrophoska every 15 days. You also have to water it from time to time, but avoid waterlogging. If it had a plate underneath, you have to remove the water that is left after watering. In spring if possible take it outside, in semi-shade, and plant it in a larger pot. Withstands cold and frosts down to -2ºC.
The Norfolk pine is actually a Araucaria, specifically the Araucaria heterophylla. It is a very slow-growing conifer that has a geometric crown, with horizontal branches that form floors, and that it can reach 70 meters in height. The leaves are green scales, and they remain on the plant for years. Once it reaches adulthood, it flowers and produces fruits, which are cones 12 centimeters in diameter.
In all probability, it is one of the few conifers that can be indoors for a few days, since unlike many other species, it only resists up to -3ºC without being damaged. Even so, let's not fool ourselves: it is not easy to have it indoors. It needs a lot of light, and it must also be away from drafts. We will water it once or twice a week, and in spring we will take it out to the garden. If the climate is warm, the ideal would be to have it outside all year round, in full sun.
And you, what Christmas plants do you have? We hope that these tips on their care will be useful so that you can keep them during these holidays, yes, but also those that are to come.
