With proper poinsettia care, rebloom the holiday spirit with minimal effort. Many Christmas symbols, such as the wreath, represent eternal life, and the poinsettia's theme is rebirth and renewal.
The plant most often shared during holiday celebrations is the poinsettia. And with proper care, the gift you received last year will rebloom this year too.
A poinsettia's bloom is not an actual flower but rather a group of bracts, or leaves, that can turn from green to red, white, or pink--this is in response to changing light conditions. Technically, the actual flowers on a poinsettia plant are the small pollen-bearing buds in the center of a group of colored bracts. A decreasing amount of sunlight in autumn is what triggers this change, which in effect is a bloom.
Below are a few tips to give proper poinsettia care, and help it rebloom. Remember, it takes about 10 weeks for this process, so plan accordingly.
- When the holidays have passed and winter rolls on toward spring, give your poinsettia plant the same care you would any other houseplant: lots of light and only as much water as it actually needs (the surface of the soil should be dry to the touch between watering).
- Cut it back in spring to a height of 6" to 8" to encourage branching and combat the legginess that these plants are prone to.
- Move it outdoors in summer to a sunny location to strengthen it for its reblooming at year's end. Every week during the summer, apply a balanced fertilizer (even ration of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium).Pinch the plant back in July to maintain bushy growth.
The real challenge is giving the poinsettia care to rebloom for the holidays. The key is being disciplined during every step of this process.
As early as mid September, it will need bright daylight exposure (6 to 8 hours) and complete darkness (14 to 18 hours) in order to give the poinsettia care to rebloom for you. Don't take the term 'darkness' lightly--it needs to be absolutely dark, meaning no peeks of light whatsoever, as even a tiny amount will disrupt the process. You might want to set the plant inside a box or make a tent over it with black cloth. The light needs to be fairly intense for the daytime portion, so if you don't have a window where the plant can get at least 6 hours of exposure, you might want to get some help from gro-lights. Make sure there's a difference of 7 to 10 degrees between day and night while plant is in its darkness treatment.
Keep temperature right around 68 degrees Fahrenheit while bracts are developing their color.
Once the plant has rebloomed, stop feeding it. Remember that blooms will last longer in temperatures closer to 60 degrees.
Poinsettias can look a bit on the sad side when they're past their glory. The color fades; leaves drop, and the new bracts grow in green rather than the contrasting colors of the plant's prime. Kind of like we do when the season is over.
Keep yourself as welcome as the poinsettia by beginning your new year's rituals early.
Happy Holidays and may blessings of renewal be yours this season and beyond.
