Have you bought your poinsettias, Christmas cacti and forced bulbs for the festive season? If so, make sure they’re not wilting by the time Santa arrives.

If you take the right measures, Christmas houseplants can last right through to the spring and can flower again in subsequent years.

However, too much watering, leaving a plant next to a radiator or in a draught can lead to its demise, so here are a few tips on how to keep some of the most popular Christmas plants so they’ll last to New Year and beyond.

POINSETTIA (Euphorbia pulcherrima): To keep the showy coloured bracts of red, white, cream or pink varieties, keep poinsettias warm, around 13 degC-22 degC, and mist the leaves regularly because they like moist air. They also need plenty of light and can even tolerate some direct sunshine. However, not overwatering is the key to longevity. Let the top half of the compost dry out before watering it and don’t just dribble it over. It needs a good soaking occasionally, letting the water drain away and then watering it again. Avoid putting the plant in cold draughts or placing it near a radiator.

CHRISTMAS CACTUS (Schlumbergera truncata and S. x buckleyi): This is among the easiest of plants, producing masses of sizzling-coloured flowers in red or pink shades at the end of its droopy, succulent leaves. I’ve found that the less attention you give it, the better it performs. It likes average room temperatures in any brightly-lit spot and will tolerate some direct sunlight. Water it thoroughly only when the compost begins to dry out. You will sound the death knell if you overwater. If you are keeping it in a warm room, mist the leaves regularly, as dry air can cause the buds and flowers to drop. It also doesn’t like being moved when in flower, so keep it in the same spot. If you want it to bloom again in subsequent years, give it two rest periods before next winter – one for six to eight weeks after flowering and the second from mid-September to November in temperatures of 10 degC-15 degC, when the buds form, and cut down on watering during these rest periods.

CHRISTMAS CHERRY (Solanum capsicastrum): This compact, bushy plant produces pretty orange-red berries in winter and needs to be kept moist at all times to prolong its display, as dry soil and dry air will cause the fruits to drop. Mist the leaves regularly. It likes cool conditions, ideally between 10 degC-15 degC, in bright light with some direct sunshine. The fruits will be gone by late winter but if you want it to fruit again next year, cut the stems back once the berries have shrivelled to halve the size of the plant, reduce watering and repot in spring, standing the pot outside in a sunny spot once the risk of frost has passed. Starry white flowers will appear in summer, but bring the plant inside before the first frosts.