Tips for Keeping Holiday Greenery Fresh

   

Decorating with Christmas trees, wreaths and garland is a long-standing tradition. They fill our homes with the sight and scents of the season and with a little preparation, you can keep your cut trees, wreaths and garland vibrant and fragrant throughout the holidays.  

Start by spraying or soaking your greenery in a room-temperature bath. This allows the foliage to soak up water.  

Once hydrated, spray the greenery with Wilt-Pruf®. Wilt-Pruf® is a natural pine oil emulsion, that dries to form a clear coating which reduces moisture loss and helps keep cut greens fresher, longer.   

To activate the polymer in Wilt-Pruf®, the greens need to be sprayed in daylight, when the temperatures are above freezing. Spray until liquid runs off and then allow foliage to dry outdoors for 3 – 4 hours, before moving greens indoors. Once indoors, place your greenery away from fireplaces and other heat sources, including exposure to direct sunlight.   

Wilt-Pruf is also available as a concentrate. If you are preparing a solution from concentrated Wilt-Pruf, it’s important that you put water in the spray bottle first, then add the Wit-Pruf.  

  

Cut Christmas trees also prefer cooler temperatures and should be kept away from fireplaces, heating ducts and other heat sources. The lower the surrounding temperature, the longer your tree will last. The other key to keeping your cut tree fresh is keeping it hydrated. It’s important to know that within four to six hours after trees are cut, the base of the tree will sap over, forming a seal and the tree will no longer take up water. 

When you buy a tree from us, we’ll offer to put a fresh base cut on it. By doing so, we know the tree will take up water when you get it home. How much water a tree needs depends on the size and the species of tree you’ve selected. Typically, freshly cut trees will easily consume a gallon of water in twenty-four hours, so choose a tree stand that will hold a gallon of water or more.   

   

While you’re at it, add a drop of SUPERthrive® for every four ounces of water in your Christmas tree stand. SUPERthrive® will help keep your cut tree fresher, longer.   

 

If this is the year you’ve decided to have a living Christmas tree, here are some things to consider. When choosing a living Christmas tree, it’s important to consider the mature size of the tree, location, and soil conditions, to achieve optimal growth.  

  

Colorado Blue Spruce, Dwarf Alberta Spruce, Norway Spruce, Serbian Spruce, Fraiser Fir are good candidates for living Christmas trees, that will do well in your landscape after Christmas is over.   

   

Once you’ve chosen a tree and gotten it home, place the tree in a sheltered area such as a covered porch or garage. A couple of days before Christmas move the tree inside for decorating. Ideally, your living Christmas tree should not be inside for more than five days. While inside, keep your tree away from fireplaces and other sources of heat. Once Christmas is over, it’s important to gradually introduce the tree back outside. On the first day, place the tree outside and place it in an unheated garage or shed for the night. On the second day, leave the tree outside until after dark. On the third day, leave the tree outside all night. This will give it time to acclimate to the outside environment.   

   

If the soil at the planting site is workable, now would be a good time to dig a hole to plant the tree in. The planting hole should be twice as wide as the container size and deep enough, so the top of the root ball is even with the surrounding soil, when planted. Amend the existing soil with an organic compost at the rate of thirty percent. Water the hole thoroughly, then place the tree in the hole and backfill with amended soil.  

   

If it’s not possible to plant the tree, leave it in its container in a location where it will be sheltered from direct winds.  It’s important to always keep your tree well hydrated during this time. If in the ground, plan to water your tree every four to five weeks through the winter, whenever the temperature is above 40⁰F. If the tree is in its container, check the moisture level every two weeks and water if dry. Plant the tree as soon as the soil is workable in the spring.  

   

   

   

   

  

 

 

How to Care for your Flower Bin Legendary Poinsettia Plant

  

Poinsettias are one of the top choices for holiday plants, and it's easy to see why. Available in a wide variety of breathtaking colors from frost white to solid red, poinsettias add sparkle to your holiday display like no other plant.  

  

The botanical name for poinsettia is Euphorbia pulcherrima, meaning “the most beautiful Euphorbia”, an appropriate description for the most popular holiday plant in the United States.  

  

Poinsettias are native to Mexico and Central America and were introduced in the United States by Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. They quickly became a popular Christmas plant, a tradition that continues today.  The poinsettia we know today is a result of the significant contributions of Horticulturalist Paul Ecke Jr., whose innovations transformed the poinsettia into the country’s best-selling potted plant.   

  

Poinsettias have thin foliage leaves that vary in color from pale to dark green. The showy parts of the poinsettia that most people think of as flowers are specialized leaves, called bracts. The actual flowers are tiny yellow clusters found at the very center of the bracts. In nature, the brightly colored bracts are there to protect the plant and to attract insects to the flowers to spread the pollen.   

  

  

At The Flower Bin, we grow all our own standard-sized poinsettias, a process that begins in late summer.  Every step of the way, from planting to bloom, Jose and his knowledgeable staff carefully attend each poinsettia, assuring you that the plant you are purchasing is locally grown and of the highest quality. That’s what makes them legendary. 

 

  

We also paint a few poinsettias in glittering blue, purple and gold to add some sparkle to holiday display. 

  

Proper care for your poinsettia begins before you leave the store. If you choose, we will wrap your poinsettia in foil and ribbon. We cut a drain hole in the foil on the plants we wrap so your plant will drain properly.  We will carefully bag your poinsettia when it’s cold, to protect it on its way home.  

  

Once you arrive at home, unwrap your poinsettia and place it in a room where it will get bright light, but not direct sunlight.  Poinsettias don’t like drafts, so keep your plants away from heater vents, fireplaces, doors, and cold windows. The ideal room temperature should be between 65°F and 70°F (18°C to 21°C). 

  

Water your poinsettia thoroughly when the top inch of soil is dry to the touch. Poinsettias don’t like to sit in water, so discard any water that has collected in the saucer under the plant.  

  

With proper care, your poinsettia will last through the holiday season and retain its beauty well into the New Year. If you decide to keep your poinsettia after the holidays, you should care for it as you would any other houseplant. Keep it in a bright location, out of direct sun, water regularly and fertilize with an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer such as Schultz 10-15-10. 

On the weeks you don’t fertilize with Schultz, water with SUPERthrive®.  The kelp-based formula in SUPERthrive® helps nourish and invigorate plants, enhancing their overall health and vigor.