POINSETTIA PLANTS
The holidays are coming and you either purchased a poinsettia plant or somebody
gave you one. And you have no idea how to care for it. Naturally you were hoping
for a little help, right? Well, I’m going to tell you more information than you
really want to know; Why? Because there are some folks that want to learn as
much as possible and you can just take note of those things you feel are helpful
to you.
First, hopefully you kept the plant wrapped properly on the trip home from the
store. Even short exposure to low temperatures can harm the bracts and leaves.
But, lets assume you brought the poinsettia home safely.
Poinsettia plants like daytime temperatures of 60 to 70º F with nighttime
temperatures at approximately 55 to 60ºF. Oh boy, what a pain in the neck but,
if you want the plant to do well you better move it to a cooler room every
night. In addition, make sure you keep the plant away from drafts, open doors,
radiators, registers and open windows. In front of a closed sunny window is a
great place to set it during the day, as long as you don’t let it touch the cold
glass. Make sure the pot has a drainage hole in the bottom and check the soil
daily for moisture. This is where a good moisture meter comes in handy. The soil
should be slightly moist not wet and drain well.
If you are planning to keep the poinsettia beyond the holidays, fertilize it
once a month with a good natural fertilizer. I like Neptune’s Harvest
Fertilizers. Normally, I plant the poinsettia outside in the summer and every
year purchase a new one.
Okay! You want it to bloom again! Well for your information, that’s not as easy
as it sounds but, if you insist, here goes.
After the holidays end, slowly stop watering the plant until the leaves fall
off. Set the plant somewhere in the house where the temperature will remain at
50 to 60ºF, until spring. Occasionally water the plant just enough to keep the
roots from drying out. This is where we get into some disagreements. There are
those who believe the plant must be in total darkness and others that say it
doesn’t matter. Me? I’ll just let you make up your own mind. However, if you
pick darkness, put it in a close or under a cardboard box, not in a plastic bag.
When May arrives and the threat of frost has past, cut the stems back to 4" to 6". RE-pot the plant into a slightly larger pot making sure there is only one plant in the pot. Don’t use soil from the yard, you could introduce diseases, use potting or sterilized soil. Water them and set the pot/pots outside. Make sure they receive plenty of sunlight, except on the hottest day, when they should be in light shade. Always protect them from the wind, and keep the plant in the pot. As the plant is growing, cut the shoots to only 2 nodes. Pruning several times should result in 6 to 10 branches. Never prune after August 13th. Be sure to keep control of insects and diseases. Water and fertilize on a regular basis, keeping the soil moist and never feeding more than once a month. Moving the plant too much could cause the leaves to drop. As summer wears on move the plant into light shade to prepare for the move into the house. In the fall, while it’s still warm, bring the plant into the house and set it in front of a south facing window in a warm room. Make sure there is sufficient light or you may have leaf fall. Room temperature through out the day of 68 to 75ºF is good. Never let night time temperatures drop below 60ºF, in fact try to hold the temperature at 60ºF all night. Poinsettia need short days and long nights to flower, that's 14 hours of total darkness. There must be no light at night...NONE! To be safe, cover the plant with a light proof box or bag, or stick it into the closet. (block the light from getting under the closet door) every evening at 6:00 pm and uncovering it at 8:00 am, starting the 1st of October and continue until the bracts color, which will take approximately 10 weeks. Do everything properly and you should have the plant in color for Christmas.