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Photo: howdoesyourgardenmow.com
By Debbie Roland and Emmy Ulmschneider, Master Gardeners
There are several plants that we buy for decoration or receive as a gift from a friend that can be grown outside once the cold weather is over. If saving your plants as an addition to your yard this spring, summer and fall interests you, here are a few tips to help.
Amaryllis (Hippeastrum): An amaryllis can flourish for years and actually do well in our warm climate. Those of us who love plants are often given them as a gift during the holidays.
Some large bulbs will produce more than one stalk containing 5 to 7 blooms per stalk. Smaller bulbs produce one stalk with about 4 flowers. After Christmas you can sometimes find them marked down at big box stores. If it has already bloomed there may not be another bloom until next year, but the plant still makes a pretty plant in your flowerbeds or garden this year. Due to our long growing season, I have several Amaryllis that have bloomed several times per year.
If you are starting with a bulb that needs to be potted, you will need at least an 8” pot with drain holes. There should not be more than 2” between the bulb and the inside of the pot on all sides. Leave 1/3 to ½ of the bulb above the soil line in the pot. Water well and place in a sunny spot in your house. Once you see the stalk begin to grow, keep the soil moist. When the flowers are spent cut the stem off about 3” above the bulb and treat it like all your other houseplants. After the last freeze you can move it outside, placing it first in the shade and once it is accustomed to its new surroundings you can move it to a sunny location. I have moved several of mine permanently to a large, raised bed where they overwinter each year. So far, they have come back each spring without any winter covering or care.
If yours is still living in a pot it will be necessary for you to move it inside for the winter or to your greenhouse.
Poinsettias: Many people adorn their tables and porches with poinsettias during the holidays. If you hate to toss a perfectly good poinsettia out after the holidays, you’ll be pleased to know that they will grow outside in our zone. If you want to add yours to a bed or garden, you will need to take good care of it while it is inside. Keep it moist and in a sunny location.
You may be surprised to know that once planted outside in the spring they reportedly can grow up to 10’ tall. I have had mine reach 4’ but never the predicted 10’. I plant mine in a sunny corner that doesn’t get attacked by the spring West Texas winds. You will need well-draining soil so that your plant doesn’t get root rot. After the danger of freeze is over, the plant can be moved outside. The leaves have probably died back by then so prune it back to two stems about 6” above the soil. I always add compost to the hole I plant in and then fill with native soil or potting soil.
Poinsettias take very little care once outside. You will begin seeing new shoots in the spring which is when it is time to begin regular watering. If you use fertilizer add it every other week. I find that the compost in the beginning gives the plant a good start and fertilizer isn’t needed. My soil, however, is highly amended so if you are planting in our native soil you may need to fertilize. When I notice that mine are getting “leggy” I trim them regularly by pinching back the tips of the new growth. This will produce a bushier plant.
If you have questions, call the AgriLife office in Odessa at 498-4071 or in Midland at 686-4700. Additional information, and our blog for access to past articles, is available at westtexasgardening.org. Click on “Resources”.
Photo: pinterest.com
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