Georgia Magazine - December 2017 - 36

WHITE FLOWER FARMS

COSTA FARMS

Norfolk Island pine, a forest giant reaching heights of 200 feet in its native climate, tops
out at 6 feet when grown as a houseplant.

Live plants, like these potted amaryllis bulbs, bring
an elegant touch to holiday décor.

(Continued from page 34)
recommends looking for a plant with
center flowers that are still tight green
buds. If the flowers are producing yellow pollen or turning brown, the colorful bracts won't last long.
Be particularly attentive about
watering.
"These plants are susceptible to
root rot. Water when the soil surface
feels dry, and make sure the plant is
not sitting in standing water," Thomas
warns.
Give it as much light as possible
to maintain blooming.

so be prepared to stake them," Hancock says.
You also can plant them in your
flowerbed and enjoy their bold
blooms in your garden. They may
even survive over the winter if left in
the ground in our area.
"They will add so much to the
late spring or early summer garden
for years to come," he adds.
Thomas agrees. "In Georgia, amaryllis is one of the more wonderful
plants we can use in our gardens, as
they are essentially problem-free."

Amaryllis
Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) is a large
bulb hailing from South Africa, where
it is accustomed to a warm, sunny climate, followed by a dry season. To
replicate these conditions, keep amaryllis bulbs watered and in a warm,
sunny location indoors until all danger of frost has passed. You then can
move them outside to a sunny location. Allow the leaves to remain, and
water regularly so they can recharge.
To get flowers in time for the next
holiday, bring the bulbs inside to a
dark, dry location in early September.
Stop watering them, and allow the foliage to wither. In early November, repot and water them, and place them
in a sunny location inside your home.
"The flower stalk will be very tall,

The Christmas cactus might be
the best-known of the Schlumbergera
species, but there are also Thanksgiving and Easter cacti. All bloom during
the holiday seasons for which they
are named. Expect the flowers to last
for six weeks and the plants themselves to last a long, long time.
Care is simple. They require
bright, natural light and can be
brought outside in the summer. Be
sure to keep them out of direct sun,
which can burn the foliage. Use a
general-purpose houseplant fertilizer
to encourage reblooming, and bring
plants indoors before the first frost.
It's also easy to generate new
cacti from your plant, because the
bumps at the base of every leaf segment are partially developed roots.

Holiday cacti

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Thomas explains how: "Twist off one
of those segments, and stick it in
moist soil, and it will root almost immediately. Before you know it, you'll
have a full-size plant."

Norfolk Island pine
Don't want to worry about persuading your holiday plants to rebloom? Pick one that looks great for
its foliage alone. Norfolk Island pines
(Araucaria heterophylla) are a popular choice for "mini Christmas trees"
and often are sold with bows, ornaments or even lights already on them.
Norfolk Island pines are not actually pines and are native to tropical
climates. They will enjoy spending
their summer vacation outdoors but
need to come inside before any risk
of frost.
Norfolk Island pines are largely
pest- and disease-resistant, so you
shouldn't have to worry about ill effects from their time spent outside.
Indoors, they prefer medium to bright
light.
Helen Newling Lawson is a freelance writer and Master Gardener
from Suwanee.

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month, see page 36A of the
December 2017 digital edition,
online
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - December 2017