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How to keep gift plants blooming another day


Some, but not all, popular plants can be kept for another year

How to keep gift plants blooming another day

Cyclamen are popular plants to give and receive as gifts. Many plants can be induced to bloom again the following year.

Photograph by: Adrian Lam , Victoria Times Colonist

Question: I have several African violets that are growing out of their pots. I don't have very good luck transplanting them; they seem to die once they are in a new pot.

The location I have them in would not allow me to use many larger pots, so splitting seems to be the only solution.

What am I doing wrong?

Answer: Here are a few tips for splitting the African violets:

Make sure the knife you are using is as sharp as possible. You don't want to be tearing any of the tissue. Try to make the cut in one motion rather than "sawing" back and forth. This will also keep the trauma to a minimum.

When making the cut, ensure that you are also cutting through the middle of the crown. This is often a problem when splitting African violets as one of the splits gets more crown than the other and the one with less inevitably fails.

If the plant has multiple crowns, make the split between the crowns.

Make sure there's a good set of roots on both plants after the split.

Replant both splits immediately. The longer you expose the cuts to the air, the greater the risk of failure due to disease. Plant the splits at the same depth as the mother plant.

Keep the new plants moist but never wet, and do not fertilize until new signs of growth begin to appear.

Question: Gerald, we love your book and have read it through a few times now.

What should I do with the gift plants we received over the holidays? I got three of them this year: a poinsettia, a cyclamen and an azalea.

I really would like to make them last as long as possible.

Answer: I'm happy you are enjoying the book. This is a great time to talk about any gift plants that people received over the holidays.


- Never overwater. Check the soil daily and if it feels dry to the touch, water immediately. If pot is wrapped in decorative foil, remove pot and plant. Place in sink and water until the water runs out of the holes in the bottom of the pot. Let stand in sink for one hour after watering.

- Very sensitive to draughts.

-Keep plants at 12 C at night to help blooms last longer.

- Best to toss after bloom.


- Place in an indirect but plentiful source of sunlight.

- Florist azaleas prefer cool temperatures in the 12-15 C range for optimal bloom.

- Keep moist but not wet. Use "first knuckle test." Insert finger into the soil up to first knuckle - if it feels dry, water.

- Can be planted in outdoor pot, placed in shady spot for the summer and brought indoors before frost to rebloom.


- Prefers cooler temperatures of 15-18 C during the day and 12 C at night for optimal bloom.

- Place in bright but indirect sunlight.

- Prefers to be moist but not wet. Water from the bottom to avoid stem rot.

- After flowering, gradually decrease watering until foliage dries.

Place the pot on its side in a cool spot such as a basement until danger of frost has passed, then place outdoors in a sheltered spot with indirect light until the fall.

I will add one more for those who might have received this popular plant, as well:


- Will do well at room temperature (21 C).

-Allow soil to dry out between waterings. Ensure that all water is removed from the drain tray after watering.

- Place in full sun.

- Makes a great houseplant. Fertilize every two weeks during the growing season (May to September) and keep moist.

- During winter, water less frequently and stop fertilizing. May need extra light, such as a grow-light.

Gerald Filipski belongs to the Garden Writers Association of America.


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