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POINSETTIAS |
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- plant maturity
- when you purchase it
- how you care for the plant
- How do I select a poinsettia?
- How do I care for my poinsettia through the holidays?
- Can I plant my poinsettia outside?
- Will my poinsettia rebloom next year?
SELECTING YOUR POINSETTIA
The red, pink, or white bracts that give the poinsettia its beauty are actually leaves that change color with longer nights and changing temperatures. The poinsettia's actual flower is very small and is found at the center of a cluster of bracts. The flower buds are tightly closed at first, but as they mature they open and give a yellow center to the surrounding red bracts. If you want your poinsettia to retain its beauty for a long time, select a poinsettia which shows very little yellow color in the center. back to the list
CARING FOR YOUR POINSETTIA
When puchasing poinsettias, do not expose them to extreme cold temperatures while moving them into the home. This is a short time exposure often overlooked when trying to determine what damaged the colorful bracts (flowers).Poinsettias are grown in greenhouses with night temperatures of 60-65 degrees with high humidity and maximum sunlight. The typical home is darker, warmer and dryer than where the poinsettias had been grown. Select the spot in your home which most closely approximates its former growing site. Place your plant in a brightly lit room and avoid temperature fluctuations and drafts. Avoid cold drafts from doorways or excess heat from television sets, radiators, fireplaces or heating ducts. Your plant will last longer if it is moved to a cool room at night, where the temperature is no cooler than 50 degrees.
Examine the plant regularly and water it whenever the soil looks and feels dry. Watering frequency will depend on the temperature at which you keep the poinsettia. Place the plant on a saucer to prevent damage to furniture. Fill the pot to the top with water, and allow it to soak into the soil. Repeat until water begins to trickle out of the base hole of the pot showing that the soil is wet to the bottom. If the plant is wrapped with decorative foil, punch a hole in the foil beneath the pot to allow excess water to escape.back to the list
SAVING YOUR POINSETTIA
If you want to keep your poinsettia after Christmas, now is the time to make the decision on whether to save the plant for next year or toss it in the compost pile. The poinsettia is a tender plant with no frost resistance. You can keep your poinsettia and bring it into flower again for next Christmas by treating it in the following way: As the flowers pass maturity, leaves and bracts will fall. When about half of them have fallen off, gradually reduce the water you give the plant, until the soil is completely dry. The plant is now in a state of dormancy and can be stored in the basement or a dark room at 50 degrees F without watering. When new shoots begin to grow on the old stems in the spring, or when night temperatures are above 50 degrees F outside, start watering again. Use a soluble complete fertilizer such as 20-20-20 twice each month, at the rate recommended by manufacturer. Cut back the stems to approximately 4 - 6 inches and re-pot the plant. I recommend using a soilless media (peat moss, pine bark mix, etc.) that allows for excellent drainage. If the temperatures fall below 50 degrees bring the poinsettia inside. When the danger of frosts has passed, put the poinsettia pot into the ground in the garden. Pick a spot that receives full sun. First, line the bottom of the hole with 1 - 2 inches of gravel, to allow water to drain away from the pot. Then place the pot in the hole and fill in with soil to the top of the pot. Turn the pot every few weeks to prevent rooting through the bottom holes. Also, turning allows the sun to evenly reach all sides. The terminal shoots should be pinched to encourage branching. This involves removing the terminal 1/2 inch of the shoot. Pinch every 4 - 5 weeks, depending on the rate of growth. Two large mature leaves should be left below the pinch. Continue to pinch until mid-August. About the middle of September, bring the plant indoors. back to the listMAKING YOUR POINSETTIA BLOOM AGAIN
Place poinsettias in a sunny room in mid-September. Flowering is photoperiodically induced in the poinsettia. Flowers begin to form when days are a certain length, or more accurately, when the nights are long enough. Flower initiation begins in North Carolina in late September. Because flower initiation depends upon the length of the dark, your poinsettia must be kept completely dark as soon as the natural daylight is gone. This action must be taken from late September until Thanksgiving. Every evening place the plant in a dark room or closet that stays cool at night. Any small amounts of light will interrupt the dark period for that night and that night will be lost and delay flowering. When the floral bracts start to show color it is not as important to continue giving the dark period, though it is advisable to continue until the bracts are almost fully expanded. Temperatures should be no less than 60 degrees F at night, but not more than 75 degrees in the day. During the day give the poinsettia as much sun as possible. Also, continue to fertilize plants as outlined during the spring applications. In order to prevent fertilizer injury to the roots, make sure enough water or fertilizer solution is applied so the excess drains through the bottom of the container. Discard all surplus water collected. See, its simple. But, if you do not want to do this, I would recommend composting your plant and then get to know your local garden centers. They had some great plants this past year and will again this year. back to the list
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