Christmas cactus, poinsettia, cyclamen...What now?

Christmas is over and my Christmas plants are looking quite depressed and so was searching for info on how to keep my Cyclamen etc. alive.... Found this handy and succinct advice from the Fernlea Newsletter that covers all three of the popular Christmas plants and thought others might find it useful...

http://www.fernlea.com/newsletter/newswinter02.htm

or does everyone just let them RIP? Happy New Year. t.

Great link! Thanks! I'm going to try my best to keep my 2 poinsettias going, even though one of them is already losing alot of leaves! Any idea what causes this?

Sequee--well I only know what's on this Fernlea site--but did you see the second page on Poinsettias that talks about bract loss due to overcrowding and also a bit about overwatering and root rot--I will copy the page for you...

http://www.fernlea.com/xmas/poininfo.htm

in case you want to look at it...good luck.

Here's another good link from OSU on Poinsettia care that gets into detail on watering which sounds like is the big issue with keeping the plants going....

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1248.html

good luck. t.

Good heavens, that sounds complicated! I printed off the instructions and will file them for later use - thank you!

Thanks for this post! I'd been wondering what I need to do for my poinsettia now that the season is over, too. I hope this works!

My cyclemen lives in a cool east window all year. Like my amaryliss that I never let go dormant, the cyclamen doesn't either. Sometimes the leaves will yellow a bit just after blooming but I feed and water as usual blooms or not. Am rewarded with blooms about evey 3 months. This one is more than a few years old now. My Mom's is near 5 years old and still going strong with no dormant period.
Really don't know if it's the particular variety we both have or what...but it works!!

Caron--what do you feed the cyclamen? You must have a really green thumb...I have never had any luck with them! t.

Nothing special tabasco, all the plants get a liquid 10-15-10 (or whatever is cheap/on sale) and SuperThrive.
It just really seems to like the cool temps and pretty good temp dip at night. Must be the perfect spot for it. I've killed *plenty* other houseplants, and can't grow a peace lily to save my life, LOL!!!

Here is my Christmas cactus. I got it on clearance about this time last year and it was pretty sad. I hung it on a limb of the magnolia tree and just left it. And I mean left it. I never watered it or fertilized it for and entire year. I had really just about forgotten it until danger of freeze made me go around and look at the yard. I could not believe it. It is absolutely beautiful. What a reward for neglect! It has over 100 hundred blooms.

Here is another view.

I'd say it loved what you weren't doing to it. A beautiful plant!

ruthm--your CC is wonderful. You got those results from just leaving it outside? You must have garden fairies!

Caron--Does your amaryllis just keep reblooming thru the year? Or do the leaves stay green until Thanksgiving and then it blooms thru the winter? And what is SuperThrive? I wish I had an East Window in my house.... Thanks for posting.

My CC, cyclamen and poinsettias are in need of emergency care. I thought I was doing OK with them but this week they really went downhill. I think they need an East Window.

Have a good weekend. t.

tabasco
My amaryliss keeps reblooming and the leaves stay green all year.
SuperThrive is a plant food now sold in the larger box stores (HD, Lowes, Walmart)
that is a hormone/vitamin blend. Never would have believed it worked (and always taught that plants don't need vitamins or hormones) but it does. If I remember right the closest thing would be birth control pill with extra B vitamins?!?
I'll try to post a picture later for you.

Boy ruthm, your CC looks great! Sure wish mine would do that for me!!

I MUST get some Superthrive. I love B Vitamins for myself and if it will help my plants I say go for it!

here is a pic.
The ST is $8-10 for 4 oz.

Those must be some hormones! Do you get lots of blossoms, then?

One stalk per bulb but usually 4 flowers per stalk.
I've had the two on the left for 7 years old now.
And the one on the right I bought last fall.

If you are interested in trading cuttings of your Holiday Cactus, please post on this thread what you have and what you want. Kinda lika a group trade/swap.

I would be glad for someone other than me to take over and run the swap

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/486024/

Judy