The beautiful red and green poinsettia are a familiar site of the holiday season. They are a member of the Euphorbia family and are native to Mexico. The traditional color is red, but can be found in a large variety of colors. The large colorful part is not actually the flower, but a “bract.” The bract is a modified leaf structure surrounding a small yellow center. This yellow center is the actual flower. Contrary to popular belief, they are not poisonous to people or plants, but should still be handled with care, as their sap can cause a mild irritation. These plants bloom as the days get shorter, but can be grown outdoors during the summer months.
I received a lovely Christmas Poinsettia last November full of lovely red flowers and leaves almost as big as my hand. Determined to keep this gift around for a while longer I went looking for the “care and feeding” of this flower. As a result I have a beautiful poinsettia full of large green leaves just waiting for the opportunity to bring on the cherry red blossoms. This is what I learned from the start:
1. New poinsettias need a bright but not direct sunlight a minimum of 6 hours.
2. A temperature of 65 – 78 degrees with a cool 60-65 at night.
3. Watering – a moist but not wet soil. Don’t place your pot in standing water, or root rot will kill it, and don’t fertilize the plant while the flowers are blooming.
When the branches begin to age and the blossom petals are falling off you can put them out to an enclosed patio, if the night temperatures are above 55*F. Continue watering until late March or Early April. At this time you can cut the plant back to about 8”. The plant will sprout new growth and you can begin adding some balanced flower fertilizer. Transplant to a new pot not larger than 3-4” bigger than the original pot. Use a plant soil mixed with peat moss is a good start.
Prune to keep it bushy and compact, then stop in September, keeping the plant moist.
Starting around October 1st the plant needs to be kept in darkness for 14 hours. You can move the plant to a dark room, or cover it with a large box overnight.
October into early December the plant needs 6-8 hours of bright-indirect light, with the evening temperatures around 60-70*F. Flower buds begin to show in November. Maintain the water and fertilizer for the weeks into Christmas to have a beautiful show of blossoms.
