Poinsettias after the Holidays

Poinsettias are a beautiful holiday tradition, but your enjoyment of these charming plants does not have to end when the Christmas tree comes down. With just a little effort, you can derive pleasure from your poinsettia all year long and bring it to bloom for many holiday seasons to come.

After the Holidays
Shortly after January 1, place the poinsettia in a bright location. A south window is best, but an east or west exposure will be adequate. Remember that an increase in light and heat will increase the plant’s water requirements. Ideal temperatures are 60-70F. Warmer than that and you will see leaf drop and too-rapid a maturation of the flowers and bracts. Fertilize sparingly with a nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium (N-P-K) ratio of 20-20-20- or 10-30-20 – once every 2-3 weeks. Excessive vegetative growth stimulated at this time in the growth cycle will be leggy and weak.

Late Spring and Early Summer Care
During April, prepare to move the poinsettia outdoors by watering less and witholding fertilizer. This will toughen the roots and harden off the plant in preparation for harsh outdoor conditions. This is also the time to take cuttings, repot and prune.

When it really begins to warm up again, repot your plant in the same pot with fresh soil and start to water again - gradually - and fertilize (also gradually). Around August, cut the plant back by a third and make a decision. Do you want a bushy plant with small flowers or a shrubby plant with big flowers ? If you choose the latter, cut the plant back to three to five stems and grow it out (remember to wear gloves when handling if you have sensitive skin). Don’t prune your plant any later than September if you wish to force it to bloom for Christmas.

Flower Forcing
Whether working with new plants from cuttings or an original stock plant, it is necessary to prepare the plant for forcing in order to develop large, colorful bracts. Poinsettias bloom in response to shortening daylight hours and require at least 14 hours of continuous darkness to initiate flowering.

If you wish to coax your poinsettia to bloom in time for the holidays, you will need to put the plant in total darkness for at least 12 hours (14 is better) each night for approximately ten weeks.

Late September or early October is a good time to begin this regimen. You can place your plant inside a box, a cupboard or a closet to achieve complete darkness. Be sure to bring your plant out during the day and place it in a bright, sunny spot.

After it flowers, gradually decrease the water until the bracts all drop, then allow the plant to dry out completely (like many of the euphorbias, this is a desert plant). Store in a place with cooler temperatures (50 degrees); remember you are trying to recreate a Mexican Winter, so a 50 degree basement or garage makes a fine location.

SHARE ON...

digg

facebook

reddit

del.icio.us