Poinsettia Care Guide

Protect Your Poinsettias from the Cold

When transporting your poinsettias from the store to your home, make sure they are protected from the cold. Avoid transporting them in an open vehicle and bring them indoors as soon as possible.

Unpack Your Poinsettias Promptly

Protective plastic sleeves that come with your poinsettias help during transport but can cause leaf drop and yellowing if left on for too long. Remove the sleeves within 24 hours of purchase to keep your plant healthy.

Choose the Right Spot for Display

Place your poinsettias in areas with bright, indirect light. Avoid direct sunlight whenever possible. Poinsettias thrive in steady temperatures between 65 and 75°F, so keep them away from doorways or entrances where drafts might cause temperature fluctuations. Their bracts (modified leaves rather than flowers) are delicate and can bruise easily, so avoid high-traffic areas.

Tip: To cut and use poinsettias in flower arrangements or on wreaths, plunge the cut end of the stem into boiling water for about a minute or singe the end with a match to stop the sap from running. Then place the stem in cool water for a day. Cut flowers can last a week or so.

Check Water Levels Daily

Test the soil daily by pushing your fingers into it. If it feels dry, water lightly. Make sure to moisten the soil without causing water to drain excessively through the bottom of the pot. If your poinsettia came wrapped in colorful foil, punch holes through the bottom of the foil to allow the pot to drain. Overwatering can lead to root rot, which is the most common reason poinsettias fail.

Debunking the Toxicity Myth

Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias and their sap are not deadly to humans or animals. While ingesting them can cause mild irritation, such as a rash in the mouth or an upset stomach, poinsettias are generally harmless. However, the sap may cause minor skin irritation for some people.

Download a Poinsettia Care Sheet

How to Make a Poinsettia Bloom

The poinsettia is a long-night plant; that is, it flowers when the days are only 8-10 hours in length. As this plant would typically bloom in the spring, following its natural winter conditions, tricking the plant into an early winter means spring-blooming can take place for Christmas. To encourage your poinsettia to bloom in time for the holidays, you’ll need to simulate these conditions through a process called “short-day treatment.”

Timing

To initiate flowering, limit the plant to only 8 or 9 hours of good bright light each day for six to eight weeks, starting at the end of September. The other 15 to 16 hours should be dark (in a closet, under a box, etc.) This will encourage the plant to produce the colorful bracts that make it so iconic during the holiday season.

Caring for Your Poinsettia While Encouraging Blooms

While undergoing short-day treatment, it’s essential to continue watering the plant as needed but avoid fertilizing. Any disruption to the plant’s long night period can interfere with bud formation, so be consistent with the light and dark cycles.

Ending the Short-Day Treatment

Once the bracts begin to darken or show color, stop the short-day treatment. At this point, the plant will continue to deepen in color naturally, completing the blooming process just in time for the holiday season.

Tip for Post-Holiday Poinsettias Care

Caring for a poinsettia after the holiday season ensures it thrives year-round and can bloom again next year. Here’s how to keep your poinsettia healthy during its off-season:

• Resting Period: When the leaves begin to fade, it’s time to give your poinsettia a rest. Trim the plant back and place it in a location with drier, cooler, and dimmer conditions. During this period, reduce watering and allow the plant to recover.
• Spring Care:  When new growth appears, place the plant in a very bright to direct sun location. Resume regular watering and fertilizing (apply a general houseplant formula according to label directions.) Some people prefer to keep their poinsettia in color through the winter and spring, so give the plant regular watering and access to bright light.
• Summer Care: Poinsettias benefit from summering outside in the morning sun or a dappled sun situation with regular water and fertilizer. For a bushier plant, pinch the plant back a couple of times over the summer until mid-August.
• Bringing Back Your Blooms: Start the short-day treatment at the end of September. Continue this dark/light cycle for six to eight weeks.

History of the Poinsettia

The Christmas Poinsettia: The poinsettia is the most popular indoor Christmas plant. Its association with the Christmas season is because it blooms at this time of year in its native region. In the 1600s, Franciscan priests used the flowers in celebrating a nativity procession, Fiesta of Santa Pesebre. Mexican peoples regarded the poinsettia as symbolic of the Star of Bethlehem. There is a legend in Mexico that a poor girl, who could not afford to take flowers to the Nativity in her church, received instructions by an angel to pluck a weed and place it at the altar, where it miraculously transformed into a beautiful red poinsettia.

In the mid-1920s, the United States ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, sent some of the plants home. He shared some of his hothouse-grown poinsettias with botanical gardens, and eventually, his name became commonly used to identify this beautiful plant. Each year the poinsettia appeared as a short-lived, delicate flowering plant around Christmas time. Still, its popularity took off when hybridizers managed to give it more strength and a more extended flowering period in the 1960s.

Today, the poinsettia is not only the most popular Christmas plant, but it is the number one flowering potted plant in the United States, despite its short six-week season of availability. More than 65 million poinsettias are sold annually in the United States. Botanically Euphorbia pulcherrima, the poinsettia is not a toxic plant as it was long thought to be, although some people may be allergic to its sap.

Celebrate the Season with Poinsettias from Meadows Farms

Stop by any of our VA, WV, or MD locations today to take home your perfect poinsettia. If you need advice on how to make your poinsettia bloom again next year, our knowledgeable staff is ready to help. Celebrate the season with a poinsettia from Meadows Farms—the perfect addition to your holiday décor.

The post How To Care For Your Poinsettia Year-Round appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

These elegant plants feature short, leaf-like segments forming graceful arching stems, with unusual, yet beautiful flowers born at the ends of the branches. We offer a variety of colors at our garden centers across the Mid-Atlantic — including classic holiday reds, crisp whites, and warming oranges and pinks.

Here are some tips for caring for your Christmas cactus this holiday season:

Though they are associated with some of our coldest months, Christmas cacti originally come from the humid rainforests of South America. This tropical heritage means they need different care from that of their arid, dry counterparts. Here are just a few tips to care for your Christmas cactus, year-round:

How often to water a Christmas cactus:

In the Mid-Atlantic, where winter air is often dry due to forced-air heating, keeping your Christmas cactus properly hydrated and humidified is essential. Water your plant when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch, typically every 1–2 weeks, depending on your home’s humidity levels.

To maintain humidity, place the pot and saucer containing your plant in a small container with pebbles. Pour water over the rocks just enough so that the water remains beneath the topmost layer. This water will slowly evaporate, providing just enough humidity to satisfy your cactus’s needs.

When in bloom, flowers will last longer if the plant is in a cool, bright spot, away from drafts or heat vents. Always ensure good drainage and allow the soil to dry moderately between waterings.

How to get a Christmas cactus to bloom:

Christmas cactus uses a system of thermos-photoperiodic responses to trigger blooming, meaning that they use temperature and day length as triggers for blooming. These triggers are excellent news, as you can help, or delay, a Christmas cactus along in its bloom cycle.

For the Mid-Atlantic region, cold night temperatures at or around 50 – 55 degrees are the best trigger, but their blooms can also trigger with lack of light. The uninterrupted darkness of 13 hours or more in temperatures above 55 degrees will also trigger the cactus to bloom.

For an early Thanksgiving bloom, cover your Christmas cactus with a black cloth or store it in a lightless room (a closet or dark basement, for example)

For Christmas blooms, keep it exposed to more light and warmer temperatures later in the season as this will stunt bloom production, allowing you to have blooms at the holidays and farther along in the winter months.

Spring and Summer care:

After flowering, allow the plant to rest for a few weeks and then begin fertilizing regularly over the spring and summer with a flowering formula. Keep the plant moderately pot-bound, and prune it in the spring to promote branching.

Give the Gift of Holiday Blooms

A Christmas cactus makes a thoughtful and lasting gift, adding a festive touch to any home with its vibrant blooms. With just a little care, these charming plants can thrive and bring joy for years to come. Stop by one of our 16 locations across Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and DC this holiday season to choose the perfect plant with the help of our expert staff.

The post How to Care for a Christmas Cactus appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

Soak

Immerse greens in cold water overnight or up to 24 hours. The needles will soak up moisture to stay plump and firm. An excellent location for accomplishing this task is in a utility sink or bathtub, but be sure the water won’t freeze while the greens are soaking. Use only fresh, plain water without any additives or chemicals.

Dry

Allow greens to drip dry for an hour or so in a well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight. Doing this will remove excess water from the branch ends so they do not leak.

Spray

If desired, spray Wilt-Pruf, an anti-transpirant, on greens when they are finished dripping. Wilt-Pruf will seal moisture into the needles, extending the life of your greens. Do not use this on Princess Pine, and note that this product may change the color of blue-colored cut greens like Colorado Blue Spruce and Blue Juniper. Test the spray on an inconspicuous area first to be sure you don’t mind any changes.

Dry, Again

Allow the greens to dry thoroughly after spraying and before decorating and hanging or arranging. Doing this will ensure there are no water spots on any of your bows, accent pieces, or ornaments that are part of your fresh arrangements.

Cool

Keep greens in as cool a location as possible, out of direct sunlight, and away from any heat source, including heating vents, ceiling fans, and air ducts. Moving arrangements of fresh greens onto a cool porch or into a garage each night can help extend their vibrancy.

Bundle

Arrange your fresh greens in dense bundles and bunches, either as wreaths, vase arrangements, or swags. As a group, they will help keep each other fresh with slightly higher humidity between each green.

Clean

Keep fresh Christmas greens crisp and clean through the holiday season by dusting them lightly. Use only a clean, lint-free cloth without any sprays or chemicals. Dusting will remove dust that may dim the arrangements, but chemicals could damage the greens or change their colors. Do not brush the greens so harshly that you may damage or dislodge their needles, foliage, or berries.

Shop Christmas Greenery & Garland at Meadows Farms

No matter the greenery you prefer, we have a variety of options to suit your needs. With proper care, your greenery can stay fresh and vibrant all season long. Visit us at any of our 16 locations to pick up your holiday greenery—we’d love to help bring a touch of nature into your home even when ice and snow cover the outside world.

The post How to Keep Your Christmas Greenery Fresh appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

Some Considerations Before Buying Your Cut Christmas Tree

• Tree Height: Decide in advance what height tree you need. Remember, a taller tree can be cut off from the bottom and excess branches used for other decorations.
• Shape and Placement: If you’re placing your tree in a corner, remember that it doesn’t need to be perfectly symmetrical, as the back will be hidden from view. If you’re not placing your tree in a corner, consider its overall shape from all angles. A well-shaped tree with a balanced, uniform appearance will look its best when viewed from any direction. 
• Longevity: Consider how long your tree will be up, and the temperature the tree will be exposed to, and select the kind of tree with the needle retention you need.

Explore the variety of Christmas trees offered at Meadows Farms below for more information on needle retention.

How to Set Up a Christmas Tree

Storing Your Tree Before Set-Up

If you’re not ready to trim your tree immediately, store it outside in a sheltered area (a cold garage is ideal) to prevent it from drying out. Avoid placing it in direct wind, which can dry out the tree.

If it is going to be a week or more before you decorate, make a fresh, straight cut across the trunk about an inch up from the original cut to open the tree stem to take up water. Then plunge the trunk end immediately into freshwater.

If you’ve purchased your tree at Meadows Farms and have had us do the trunk cut for you, get your tree in water as quickly as possible to preserve the fresh cut.

Watering Pre Set-Up

Keep water above the fresh cut, or a new one will be necessary. If the water level drops below the cut, a seal will form, which does not permit the tree to take in more water. Water consumption is related to trunk diameter and not to height. An average tree will consume between two pints and one gallon of water per day.

Temperature Control

 If possible, bring the tree into a partially heated area (basement) the night before decorating to help it adjust gradually to the warmer temperature.

Place the tree as far away from heat sources as possible. These elements will dry your tree and cause it to drop its needles prematurely.

Tree Stand

Place the tree in a container or a stand that will hold water. Do not shave the sides of the tree trunk to fit the tree into your tree stand. Mix Tree Life tree preservative (sold in our garden centers) with the water as instructed on the package and water the tree daily. Proper use of tree preservatives and water will prolong the needle retention of your tree.

Ongoing Care

Once your tree is acclimated, set up, and decorated, the bulk of ongoing care focuses on preventing it from drying out and shedding needles. To keep your tree fresh and beautiful, follow these tips:

• Avoid Direct Heat Sources: Keep your tree away from direct heat sources such as radiators, fireplaces, and heat vents. These elements can dry out your tree quickly, causing it to lose needles prematurely.
• Maintain Room Humidity: Dry indoor air, especially in heated homes, can dry out your tree quickly. To help preserve its freshness, you can increase the humidity in the room by using a humidifier or placing a bowl of water near the tree.
• Use Tree Preservative: Use a tree preservative like Tree Life, which provides essential nutrients. Follow the directions on the package to mix the preservative with water and continue watering your tree daily.
• Avoid Shaking or Moving the Tree: Once your tree is in place, try to avoid shaking or moving it, as this can dislodge needles and affect its shape. If you need to adjust the tree, be gentle to avoid excessive needle loss.

By following these steps, you can keep your tree fresh, vibrant, and your home (relatively) needle-free throughout the holiday season.

Christmas Tree Varieties Available at Meadows Farms

At Meadows Farms, we offer a variety of Christmas tree options to suit your preferences. Whether you’re looking for a tree with great needle retention, a classic shape, or a festive fragrance, we have something for every home. Browse our selection to find the perfect tree for your holiday season.

Most importantly, have a happy holiday from the team at Meadows Farms!

The post Fresh Cut Christmas Tree Varieties & Care Guide appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

Real Trees Change Carbon Dioxide Into Oxygen

Real Christmas trees consume carbon dioxide and produce oxygen through photosynthesis. Once real Christmas trees are disposed of, either by chipping, burning, or decomposition, this carbon dioxide is released back into the atmosphere to be consumed by other plants. These trees do not create new carbon dioxide, making them carbon neutral. Conversely, petroleum products used for artificial trees add more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere once disposed of. A Canadian environmental consulting firm found that real Christmas trees contain a carbon balance of +24 Kg (53 lbs.) while artificial Christmas trees carry a carbon balance of +48 Kg (106 lbs.), double their live counterpart.¹

Real Trees Provide Habitats for Animals

Growing Christmas trees is a significant business that requires a lot of green space. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, there are approximately 25-30 million Christmas trees sold nationwide each year. Tree farms grow over 350 million trees over 350,000 acres of land across the United States to supply the demand. With an average growing time of 7 years, that’s a lot of green space for local birds, insects, and wildlife to call home.

Real Trees are Sustainable

In a New York Times article in 2010, botanist and professor Clint Springer stated: “You’re not doing any harm by cutting down a Christmas tree. A lot of people think artificial is better because you’re preserving the life of a tree. But in this case, you’ve got a crop that is being raised for that purpose.”² Almost all harvested Christmas trees come from tree farms, not from forests. Once harvested, farmers replace each tree with 1 to 3 seedlings the following spring in preparation for future harvests.

Real Trees Help Beautify the Landscape

A new trend in Christmas trees is to purchase a live tree with a burlap-wrapped root ball for a Christmas tree. Live, uncut Christmas trees can last in the home anywhere from 10 days to up to two weeks. You can then plant your Christmas tree outside after the holiday season. Since frozen ground may be an issue, select your planting spot when you bring the tree home. Dig the hole at that time and place the removed soil in a container that you can store in your garage or other insulated areas. When you’re ready to plant the tree, place it in the pre-dug hole and use the leftover soil to fill the hole back in. You’ll then be able to enjoy your family Christmas tree for years to come. Meadows Farms has a great selection of live evergreens available this holiday season if you’d like to try this yourself.

Real Trees are Biodegradable

It’s easy to recycle real Christmas trees after the holiday season. Many towns and cities provide recycling programs to mulch Christmas trees. This mulch is great for use in landscape and gardening projects. Christmas trees converted into wood chips serve a variety of purposes, including playground cover, hiking trails, and even beach erosion prevention. Artificial trees, made with metal and PVC, do not degrade when disposed of by homeowners. Though you can reuse an artificial tree for multiple years, it will eventually need discarding. Once discarded, they can sit in landfills indefinitely.³

Real Trees Provide Local Jobs

According to the National Christmas Tree Association, over 15,000 farms are growing Christmas trees across the United States, and these farms employ over 100,000 full and part-time employees in this industry. On the other hand, China produces over 80% of artificial trees worldwide, adding no benefit to the local job market.⁴ Local nurseries like Meadows Farms and independent Christmas tree stands employ hundreds of people throughout the Christmas season to keep up with tree demand. In our business especially, many of these employees who like working in the great outdoors transition over to laborers during the spring season as well.

Footnotes

1. Which Christmas tree is better for the environment – real or artificial?
2. How Green Is Your Artificial Christmas Tree? You Might Be Surprised
3. Real vs. Artificial Christmas Trees
4. National Christmas Tree Association Quick Tree Facts

For more blogs from Meadows Farms, click here

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