During the holiday season, shoppers head for colorful flowering plants and decorated foliage plants. In addition to traditional favorites, retailers can offer customers a wide range of new varieties to incorporate into seasonal decorations. With proper care, these plants can remain beautiful into the New Year. Temperature, water and light are the keys to success. The goal is to have plants that maintain flower (bract) color while preventing bud, flower and leaf drop.
Improving the plants in your store is relatively easy and based on four steps. Read more.
- Inspect plants for diseases and insects, yellow leaves and dropped or yellow buds upon arrival.
- Remove sleeves from plants carefully so leaves and flowers are not damaged. Do not leave sleeves on plants since moisture may collect on the sleeve and promote Botrytis.
- Check soil moisture. Many florists water plants immediately upon arrival. That might not be necessary and could damage roots. Water only if the soil feels dry to the touch. If the soil is moist, delay watering. Remember, overwatering can cause root rot. This disease can be a serious problem with plants in pot covers or no-drain containers where water can stand in the bottom. If plants are in these containers, dump water from the non-draining containers 30 minutes after watering. Soil moisture should be checked every day.
- Display plants properly at 65 to 70 F. Flowering plants need to be displayed in areas with high light (not direct sunlight) to allow flowers to open without fading.
Some holiday plans do require particular care. Here are some things to look out for:
- Bud drop on Christmas cactus. Buds and flowers will drop on Christmas cactus if the plants dry out or if they are exposed to ethylene. Plants should be treated with an anti-ethylene product by the grower
- Petiole bending on poinsettia Don’t panic! Some poinsettia varieties may appear wilted when sleeves are removed. This problem, known as epinasty, is caused by a hormonal change in the leaves when the leaf petioles are bent upwards during while sleeved. The plants will recover in 24 to 36 hours in a lighted display area. The bending is not caused by dehydration. Do not water the plants as a means of correcting this problem.
A final note: Do your best to Hold plants properly for best quality. If plants are going to be held for more than two days, it is best to store potted tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, cyclamen and potted roses at 38 to 40 F. At these temperatures, flowers will be slower to open. Remove plants from the cooler for several hours to allow soil to warm up before placing plants in brightly lit areas.
Poinsettia, Christmas cactus, amaryllis and foliage plants should be held at temperatures no lower than 53 F and no higher than 75 F for best plant quality
Terril A Nell, Ph.D., AAF, PFCI, is professor emeritus from the University of Florida, a consultant to the floral industry and the research coordinator for the American Floral Endowment. terrilnell@gmail.com
