Many of you received some beautiful plants over the past few weeks to celebrate the holidays. You can keep those plants looking beautiful if you follow a few basic guidelines to keep them happy.

Any holiday plant with blooms will require a brightly lit area. You can place them near a southern or eastern window, but be sure to keep the plant out of the direct sunlight. The direct sunlight will tend to be very warm in the afternoons and can cause the blooms to wilt.

Cool temperatures are also a way to keep your holiday plants happy. Most plants prefer temperatures that are less than 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep them away from heat sources also because the heat will cause the plants to dry out faster. On the other hand, be sure to keep your plants away from drafts. This weekend is bringing more artic air our way and if the plants are near the door, they are sure to be greeted with some of that really cold air when someone comes or goes in your home.

I think one of the hardest chores is to keep the soil moist at all times. Avoid letting the soil get too dry, but don't water the plant to the point of making the soil soggy either. A good rule of thumb is to use the finger method for watering. Place your index finger into the soil up to your first knuckle. If the soil is damp, don't water for another day or two. If the soil feels dry then add water.

Another key to keeping plants longer is to remove any spent blooms. This will prevent the plant from producing any seeds and will stimulate them to continue producing more blooms. Some plants such as the Christmas (or Thanksgiving) cactus, hydrangeas, azaleas, and Easter lilies are easy to keep from one year to the next. Other plants such as poinsettias, chrysanthemums, kalanchoe, cyclamen or gardenia can be kept for another year, but they are much more difficult to maintain and stimulate to bloom for next winter.

A few plants such as Jerusalem cherry, Christmas pepper, primula, calceolaria, cineraria and Christmas begonia should be discarded after they finish blooming this winter. The reason to discard them is that they are either annuals that die off or they don't adapt to the growing conditions inside your home at this time of the year.

For more information on holiday plant care, contact the Penn State Cooperative Extension Office at 120 W. John Street in Bedford, or call 814-623-4800. You can also reach them by email at BedfordExt@psu.edu. The Pennsylvania State University is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission, and employment without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. It is the policy of the University to maintain an academic and work environment free of discrimination, including harassment. The Pennsylvania State University prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Discrimination or harassment against faculty, staff, or students will not be tolerated at The Pennsylvania State University. Direct all inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policy to the Affirmative Action Director, The Pennsylvania State University, 328 Boucke Building, University Park, PA 16802-5901, Tel 814-865-4700/V, 814-863-1150/TTY.