Winter Bloomers Tips

Solanum: The Winter Cherry

Solanum: The Winter Cherry.

The very festive- looking Winter Cherry, Solanum pseudocapsicum, is an ages old favourite pot plant that has lost some of it's charm. Not a plant if you have young children: The attractive orange/red fruits are poisonous if eaten.
For a longer lasting display, choose a plant that has only a few orange berries and many more at various stages of ripening. Place the plant on a bright window, but in the cool.
Too high temperatures cause the plant to grow rampantly, covering the berry display.
Water as required, by sitting the pot in a saucer of water. After half an hour, empty ant remaining water out of the saucer.
Liquid feed with dilute tomato fertiliser every two weeks.

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Hellebores

Hellebores are great choices for outdoor blooms even in the snow. These small, compact plants have been reported to begin blooming in December and continue into March or April.

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Buying And Caring For Cyclamen

It is better not to buy them from dark shops- always buy plants that have been in good light.(you often get a delayed reaction to them being in a dark place.)
Never buy Cyclamen that have been sitting outside. Drafts often prove fatal.
To save the plant getting temperature shock,pop it into a polythene bag and tie the top. Don't leave the plant in a cold car while you finish the shopping take it straight home.
Chose plants that have fresh looking foliage , a few open flowers and plenty of buds to come. (look under the leaves in the centre of the plant.)
Care in the home
Remove all wrappings and place the Cyclamen in a cool room in good light.
Water from beneath. Sit the plant pot in a saucer of water and after an hour pour away the excess. The plant will have taken up as much water as it needs.
Feed with liquid fertiliser every two weeks , whilst it is still flowering.
Remove faded flowers and yellowing leaves by pulling them off .Cutting would leave a stump which would rot back to the centre of the plant.

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Kalanchoe: Looking After

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana , is an undemanding flowering plant, the red forms of which are justly popular winter flowering plants. Now it can be found in a range of colours from pink through to salmon, yellows, cream and orange shades.
Choose a plant that has just a few open blooms and has bright green shiny leaves. Place in a sunny window in a temperature of around 50 degrees . Water regularly , but allow the compost to dry out between waterings.
Should the temperature drop below 50degrees , keep the plant almost dry and it ill survive.
When in bloom feed fortnightly with liquid fertilizer.
Pot on in Spring using a pot one size up and a gritty potting mix.
Kalanchoes can be a little tricky to flower again as they are day length responsive .This is easy to overcome by putting the plant in a dark place overnight and back out into the daylight in the morning for a period of three weeks in August, This initiates the flowers and the plant will then bloom consistently at Christmas.

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Primula obconica.

Primula obconica is a long flowering winter pot plant that comes in a range of beautiful colours, from purist white through all shades of pink, red, blue and a startling terracotta shade not found in many other plants.
This Primula should be more well known, but for the major fault : many people are allergic to it's foliage.
The good news is that plant hybridists have managed to produce a strain which does not contain the skin irritent,priminin.
Buy plants which have a few open blooms and plenty of buds to come.Give the plant cool conditions, water as required and feed fortnightly with liquid fertilizer.remove the faded bloom spikes and enjoy a display that will last till early April.

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Hardenbergia

A not-to-be missed winter blooming plant is the Hardenbergia, or Miniature Wisteria. These small beauties come in purple or white and reach only twelve to fifteen feet tall. They flower from winter to spring. They prefer temperatures of 50 degrees and can be propagated from either seed or cuttings.

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