|
Indoor Flowers for Winter Color
Indoor flower plants make
winter seem shorter. Amaryllis, cyclamen, gardenias and
gloxinias are just a few of the bright, beautiful plants
that bloom indoors during the cold, blustery winter
months.
Guidelines for Success
African Violets
African Violets prefer
bright, indirect light, and warm day temperatures (70
degrees) and nights in the high 60’s. Water violets from
the bottom by filling the saucer with room temperature
water (empty excess water from saucer after soil is
evenly moist). Do not allow violets to dry out, but
avoid soggy soil. Keep cold water off their foliage.
Fertilize violets with a special African violet
fertilizer or use Miracle-Gro at half the recommended
rate. Amaryllis
Plant an amaryllis bulb in
Agway Potting Soil in a pot 2 inches larger in diameter
than the bulb and position the bulb so it is 1/3 to ½
out of the soil. Water thoroughly after planting and
place in a sunny location where day temperatures are in
the 70’s and night temperatures are in the 60’s. Once
the swollen bulb emerges, keep soil moist and fertilize
regularly.
After flowering, remove
the flower stalk(s), but allow leaves to mature in a
sunny location. Keep fertilizing and when there is no
chance of frost, move potted bulbs outdoors where they
receive morning sun. Continue to water and feed them. As
fall approaches, leaves may yellow as a signal of their
time to rest. Gradually stop watering and do not
fertilize. Move bulbs indoors before frost and allow
them to rest at least one to two months before starting
the cycle again.
Azalea
Select azaleas in bud or
just ready to bloom. Find a cool, sunny spot for them
and keep the soil moist. Azaleas respond well to
fertilizing with Miracid and prefer day temperatures in
the 60’s and nights as cool as the low 50’s. Summer
azaleas in a shady corner of the landscape, but bring
them indoors before frost.
Cyclamen
Cyclamen prefer cool
corners with day temperatures in the 60’s and nights in
the 50’s. Plants respond well to full sun or do fine
with just bright indirect light. Water them frequently
so the soil mix is always moist and fertilize regularly.
Keep the corm (underground beet-like stem) year after
year by watering and fertilizing regularly.
In early June, repot
the corm in fresh potting mix and set outside for the
summer in a shady location. Keep barely moist, fertilize
and then bring indoors before frost. Locate in a bright,
cool spot and wait patiently for the first flower buds.
Gardenia
Locate them in sunny
locations where they receive at least four hours of sun
each day. Give gardenias warm days (high 60’s or low
70’s) followed by night temperatures below 60 degrees F
to set flower buds. Keep soil mix well drained but
evenly moist. Provide high humidity by misting leaves
with warm water or situate the gardenia on a tray lined
with pebbles and filled with water, which evaporates and
raises humidity.
Gardenias summer
beautifully outdoors in shady areas. Use Miracid to
fertilize regularly and keep soil moist so the fine
roots do not dry out.
Gloxinia
Gloxinia prefer bright
indirect light with moist soil, never soggy. Avoid
getting water on the crown of the plant or on the
leaves. Fertilize regularly and position gloxinias where
day temperatures are 65 degrees F or above, but drop
below 60 degrees F at night.
To keep from one year to
the next, gradually reduce watering and fertilizing
after the flowers fade. Allow to rest for 2 to 4 months,
and the plant will eventually start growing again by
sending up sprouts. Repot in fresh soil; begin watering
and feeding.
|
