Many people either received or bought a variety of plants to bring cheer and color into their home for the holidays. However, these plants can be a cause of guilt.

“A living plant comes with a certain obligation that it be kept that way,” said Jerry Goodspeed, Utah State University Extension horticulturist. “I have been in many homes in March and April where a few unlucky Christmas plants were still clinging to life. The owners seemed to be simply biding their time, waiting for the plants to either miraculously spring back to life or die. They felt too guilty to simply put the poor thing out of its misery by throwing it on the compost pile.”

There are a few times in life where a plant may need to be unceremoniously thrown out the door and returned to nature, he said. A few Christmas plants are prime examples.

“Let me remove the guilt by saying it is perfectly okay to throw seasonal plants onto the compost pile,” said Goodspeed. “Most of the indoor plants sold for the holidays are grown to look good for a season, then be abruptly dumped. The plants understand this concept, so relax, and toss away.”

Having said that, for those who are still hanging onto a Christmas plant, here are a few tips for reducing the plant’s suffering after the holiday season.

The most notorious plant still in the home after the New Year is the poinsettia. Poinsettias can be kept as a house plant from year to year, but it does take some effort, Goodspeed explained. After the holidays, the bracts (colorful leaves) eventually fall off. When this happens, the plant growth will slow. Prune it back to a couple of leaves per stem, stop fertilizing and store it in a cool place (about 50 F). Water infrequently and allow the soil to dry between watering.

Once the danger of frost has passed, move the poinsettia outside to a shady location, he said. Plant the pot in the ground and treat it like an annual. Be sure not to over water it, he cautioned. Prune and pinch it back as it grows to create a fuller look. About the first of September, bring the plant indoors to a location that ensures at least 12 hours of darkness each night. By the end of October, the bracts should begin to color up again.

“Azaleas are another popular holiday plant,” Goodspeed said. “They spend their whole lives in a greenhouse and are manipulated to bloom just before they are sent to the retailers. Azaleas, as a general rule, do not like it indoors. They look great for a while, and then begin turning yellow and complaining about the heat and boring conversations. They can be planted outdoors, but their survival in Utah is rare. They don’t like our soil, dry summers, cold winters or even the National Parks. With that attitude, they deserve to become compost.”

Amaryllis is the large flowering plant that sends up a thick, tall stalk with large flowers clustered at the top, he said. Remove the flowers as they fade, but keep the flower stalk; the bulb will eventually send out leaves as the stalk dies. Place it in a well-lit room until the danger of frost has passed, then plant the pot and all in a shady location. As with the poinsettia, treat it like any other herbaceous plant.

Around the middle of September, bring the plant into the house and stop watering. The leaves will eventually turn yellow and die. Remove them and place the pot containing the bulb in a cool, dry location for six to eight weeks, then bring it out and begin watering and fertilizing. It should bloom again by Christmas. If not, these plants make good compost, Goodspeed concluded.