You've received a lush poinsettia, thriving Christmas cactus, or basket of narcissus. Is there any way to keep them growing after the holidays? Yes.
Your first task is to keep the plants in a brightly lit room until it's warm enough to plant in your garden. If possible place them in a window that gets at least a few hours of direct sunlight a day. Don't put them on a radiator, in front of a heater, or in the direct path of the heated air flow from you furnace.
Water only when the plants are dry. Over watering is much more common than under watering and can kill a plant just as quickly. Stick you finger in the top inch of soil. If it's even slightly damp don't water. Some plants need more water than others. Obviously if the leaves are drooping water the plant.
Don't fertilize at least for the first 30 days. Many florists and plant nurseries give the plants a boost of fertilizer before they go on sale. So your potted plant won't need any for the first month they're with you. Too much fertilizer or fertilizing too often will burn the plant. Because the soil is in pot the level of fertilizers builds up. Use a fertilizer that you dissolve in water and use it at half strength every six weeks.
Plants bloom in cycles. Winter is only a normal bloom cycle for plants in tropical or warm desert climates. The odds are your plant was forced to bloom which uses quite a bit of energy. For example: narcissus normally bloom in the early spring, roses in summer and mums in the fall. Once your plant has finished blooming don't try to force more flowers with extra fertilizer or more sunlight.
Recognize that certain plants will thrive only in conditions where they would naturally grow. Poinsettias are tropical plants and won't make it through the lightest frost. Cactus need a period of dormancy caused by lack of water so if you live in Seattle the cactus will likely succumb to all the rain.
When the weather warms up and the date of the latest average frost has passed, keep the plant on the patio or entry way where it's still sheltered but can acclimate to the outside. Flowering plants need eight hours of sunlight to promote blooms, keep that in mind when you select the permanent home for the plant.
Dig a hole that's larger than the pot. Place the plant in the hole at the same level as when it was in the pot. In other words the soil mark from the original potted soil should be slightly below ground level.
Water thoroughly and enjoy.
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