Poinsettias: a month-by-month care program
Poinsettias remain one of the most popular holiday flowers to enjoy; and each year we continue to purchase them with the idea that they are disposable and trash worthy. Truth be told, one of the most common questions I’m asked after Christmas is “How the heck do I get my poinsettia to re-bloom next year?” The task is never easy and to many people not worth the effort, but it is possible and I’ve created a monthly process to help you do just that.
For many offices—especially banks—poinsettias are often brought in to brighten up spaces and create a festive holiday décor. But what happens after that? Most die and get tossed into the trash, but many linger in a state of zombie-like state, never gracing us with another flower.
I personally feel these Poinsettias should find a home with an employee and be given a second chance because keeping them in an office after the holidays guarantees they will never see their full potential again.
I always encouraged my staff to take them home, and should they get them to bloom again the can return them to the office for a prize. I love the incentive idea, as Mother Nature would be proud. That said, I never saw one return, inspiring me to give these month-by-month steps for a successful re-bloom—or as I like to refer to it: rebirth of the Poinsettia.
January - March: continue to water the poinsettia on a regular schedule never allowing the soil to completely dry.
April: Beginning April 1st, gradually decrease water, allowing the soil to get dry between watering. Be careful the stem does not begin to shrivel. This is a sign the plant is too stressed and is dying off and soon will make it into your trash. Mid month (near my birthday, by the way, so make a note of that!) when the plant has acclimated to this drying process, move to a nice cool spot (basement or a heated garage) that offers a temperature around 60 degrees F.
May: Come mid-May, cut all stems back to around 4 inches long and take this time to repot in a slightly larger and decorative container. Take your time and water well to wake it up. Now you can bring back to the brightest window you have in your home, always keeping it in a temperature that offers 65 - 75 degrees F. Continue watering on a regular schedule.
You should begin to notice some new growth soon, so you’re almost half way there. This is the best time to begin fertilizing about every two weeks with a complete fertilizer.
June: Move your poinsettia outside for a summer blast of sunshine and temperatures. Keep it in a partially shaded location and never in direct sunlight. Continue your watering and fertilizing schedule.
July: Right after the 4th take a moment and cut back each stem about one inch. If left uncut, the poinsettia will grow tall and lanky.
August/September: By mid-August, the stems should have branched and leafed out nicely. Once again, pinch or cut the new stems, leaving 3-4 leaves on each shoot. Bring the plant back indoors and back into your brightest window. Continue regular watering and fertilizing. Make sure the temperature stays above 65 degrees F.
October: Poinsettias are short-day plants, meaning their bud set is affected by the length of daylight. This is always the hard part because to re-bloom, poinsettias require 12 hours or less of sunlight per day. Starting October 1st, keep your plant in complete darkness from 5 pm to 8 am. NO exposure to light as this will delay blooming. Be careful if you put in a closest, as light can many times get in when you open and use the closet; even this quick exposure will affect the bud set. During the day place the plant in a sunny window and continue watering and fertilizing.
November: The last week in November, you can stop the darkness treatment and allow the plant to remain in the window full time. Hopefully by following these monthly directions you have several fabulous flower buds now.
December: Stop fertilizing mid December. Keep the watering schedule and treat your plant the way you did when you first brought it home in full bloom. You can be proud that you gave your Poinsettia an encore performance—and believe me when I tell you that you will enjoy your holiday plants even more knowing that you gave them such care. You’re a pro now so it’s up to you to share the knowledge.
If you find these steps to be too much to follow, rest assure that you are not alone. Should you want to discard them, note that there is no evidence that Poinsettias are toxic or unsafe to have in the house, so consider putting them in a compost and at least letting them breakdown with dignity.
And there you have it.
Posted Comments (Post a comment to this page)
There are no comments yet for this page.