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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News AP Entertainment Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Holiday Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend December 14, 2006 Do not overwater holiday plants If you are like most gardeners I know, you enjoy both giving and receiving plants as gifts at the holiday season. A living plant is an excellent way to cheer a true gardener's spirit and help one get through a season that is likely filled with many hours that have nothing to do with gardening. Let's look at a few of the popular gift plants and how to care for them. In the past several years, poinsettias have been hybridized to the point that it is hard to recognize them as the same plants that once graced our homes. No longer sporting the long, lank and often bare stems that plagued the plant after just a day or two in the home, today's plant is compact, densely foliaged and often crowned with multicolored and even crinkly bracts that non-gardeners often mistakenly call the flowers. The bracts are a modified leaf form that turn color during the shorter days of autumn. In my days as a greenhouse grower, I was responsible for the production of up to 50,000 poinsettias each year. I learned quickly what conditions these plants favor. One of the biggest mistakes shoppers make when purchasing plants as gifts during the winter is not making their plant purchases the final stop of a shopping trip. Poinsettias do not like to be chilled, nor do they enjoy rapid fluctuations in temperature. This happens when we leave plants in the car while making a "quick" additional stop or more on the way home. Once home, allow the plant to adjust to room temperature, remove any foil wrapping, then thoroughly water the soil from the top until it runs out the drain holes. This will settle any soil that may have loosened in the pot on the way home and re-cover any roots that may have been exposed. It also will prevent the soil from having unseen dry pockets. The bracts develop and hold their colors best in bright light. Direct sun at this time of year is perfectly fine. Just be sure to keep the plant well away from any cold, drafty conditions. Although poinsettias look great in a foyer, establishing an instant holiday ambience, it's important that they aren't within reach of the icy air that comes with each opening of the door. Cool temperatures are fine and will approximate the plant's natural habitat at bloom time. When to water the poinsettia will be no mystery if you will follow this tip: When you give your plant its first thorough watering, make a conscious effort to remember the weight of the plant when it is saturated. If no one is looking, you can even put the plant on your kitchen scale to see how much it weighs. Lift the plant a couple of times a day for the next several days. When you can feel it is appreciably lighter, water thoroughly. Advertisement Another popular plant is the kalanchoe. A native of Madagascar, this popular succulent is an easy-to-keep indoor plant that thrives in a sunny window while in bloom. Slow-growing, water-thrifty and pretty in bloom, it is an excellent choice for a less-experienced plant person. Just paint on the side of the pot "do not overwater me,' and everything should be fine. It is like the poinsettia in its need for short days in order to flower. With all the recent improvements in plant genetics programs, kalanchoes are available with red, pink, white, purple and even bi-colored flowers. The Dutch have pioneered most of the work on this plant. Like most succulents, their flowers are very showy in comparison to the plain, utilitarian foliage of the plant itself. I guess that explains why they are so popular with gardeners around the world. They are not hardy outdoors here, and must be kept as a houseplant. Next week, we'll take a look at the care of other popular gift plants. Stan Mapolski, aka The Rogue Gardener, can be heard from 9-11 a.m. Sunday mornings on KMED 1440 AM and seen in periodic gardening segments for KTVL Channel 10 News. 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