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Keep Your Poinsettias Blooming -
This Season and Next
 The
poinsettia has long been a bright and colorful symbol of the
holidays. This beautiful red and green Mexico native first
became associated with Christmastime during the 17th century.
Franciscan priests near Taxco, Mexico began using the plant
in the Fiesta of Santa Pesebre, a nativity procession. Today,
it's a permanent fixture of our holiday season with a natural
flowering time of December through March.
Keep your holiday symbol looking
fresh for months with these tips:
- Place your flower in an area with
lots of natural light.
- Keep temperature around 70 degrees
during the day and 60-65 degrees at night. Avoid hot and
cool drafts, especially from appliances, radiators or registers.
Cooler temperatures will keep the bracts (brilliantly colored
leaves) bright, while warmer temperatures will fade the
bracts to dull pink.
- Water when the soil is dry to the
touch. Give it enough water to thoroughly wet all the soil.
A six-inch pot will take about eight ounces of water. Better
yet, set the plant in a pan of water for a half hour.
- Keep in mind that poinsettias hate
soggy roots. So, either poke a few holes in your plant's
fancy plastic wrapper or remove it so excess water can drain
out. Water sparingly beneath the leaves as water spots can
mar the foliage.
- Fertilize your plant once you've
had it for two weeks with a complete fertilizer such as
15-5-10 according to package directions. Repeat this every
seven to ten days until the plant loses its brightly colored
bracts.
Help your poinsettia reflower
next holiday season:
- Cut the plant back 8 to 10 inches
when the bracts fade in May. The plant will look odd for
a while but will eventually grow new branches. This means
the poinsettia will be fuller for next Christmas.
- Transplant it to a larger pot if
its original pot is fairly small. It's best to use an indoor
soil mix with a good amount of organic matter like peat
moss or leaf mold.
- Avoid temperatures under 50 degrees.
You may place it outside when temperatures are warm. In
the fall, return the plant to the house and place in direct
light.
- Fertilize the plant at seven to 10
day intervals with a water-soluble or a slow-release fertilizer
meant for household plants. Be sure to follow package instructions.
- Cover the plant with a dark plastic
garbage bag for 13 to 14 hours each night, starting September
25. Cover it from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. for three weeks. Or,
place it in a completely dark closet for this same time
period. Just make sure no light comes through or under the
closet door, not even dim light. Don't miss a night, because
that will delay flowering and don't cover all day because
the plant needs some sunshine. During this time, continue
to water and fertilize your plant.
- During October, November and early
December, poinsettias require 6-8 hours of bright sunlight,
with night temperatures between 60-70 degrees.
By December, your poinsettia should
bloom into a lovely holiday flower all over again.
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