Christmas Houseplant Care
Prolong the life of your Christmas houseplants such as poinsettias, azaleas, and cyclamen by watering them just enough to keep them moist, but avoid leaving them standing in water.
Cleaning and Watering
Clean dust off the leaves of house plants using a soft cloth and clean lukewarm water. In the greenhouse, water sparingly for the time being, and begin watering plants in pots more regularly as needed.
Encouraging Early Growth
For an early start with flowers like pelargoniums, petunias, begonias, and bedding busy lizzies, sow seeds in a heated propagator. Water greenhouse grapevines and peach trees heavily in the next few weeks to promote early growth, flowering, and ripening.
Pest Control
Watch for signs of pests, such as greenflies, red spider mites, or whiteflies, which can build up rapidly in a greenhouse early in the season. Check all plants for pests, as they tend to build up unnoticed in winter.
Pruning and Treating Grape Mildew
Permanent greenhouse plants that have grown too large can be pruned back in the next few weeks. To treat grape mildew on glasshouse grapevines, apply rose sprays when the first new leaves appear. Begin regular watering as plants start to grow, and start feeding, but there’s still time as growth is still slow.
