The Webster Viridarium
Keep your poinsettias looking good through Christmas!
Our poinsettia care tips that will help keep your plants looking festive for months to come.
Selection
As many poinsettias are purchased at grocery stores and home improvement centers, they may not have been receiving the best of care since leaving the greenhouses where they were raised.
When selecting a poinsettia, try to find a plant with tight greenish flower buds. If the buds have turned yellow and have separated, the plant has likely been blooming for a while and may not be at its peak for Christmas.
The small bud clusters known as cyathia, are the actual flowers of a poinsettia, the brightly colored leaves are called bracts.
If the plant’s foil wrapping is in the way, pull it back and look at the lower leaves. If they are yellowing or appear close to dropping off, select a different plant.
Watering
The poinsettias I recently saw at a nearby Tops supermarket were literally floating in their decorative foil wrappings due to over watering.
Once you have your plant home, its best to either remove any foil wrappings or to poke holes in the foil covering the bottom of the pot to allow for drainage.
Poinsettias prefer consistent light watering. They don’t like sitting in water but they really don’t like being left to dry out.
Poke the top of the soil with your finger every few days. If it the soil feels dry to the touch, give the plant a light watering. If your poinsettia has been placed on a saucer, tip out any excess water that accumulates.
It can’t hurt to mist your plants every few days to provide a bit of humidity.
Light and Temperature
Poinsettias are native to Mexico so they prefer as many hours of sunlight a day as possible. While poinsettias can tolerate full sun, indirect light is preferred. They enjoy temperatures between 65 and 70°F but not warmer.
Avoid placing your poinsettia in drafty locations, near frequently opened doorways, or in contact with icy windows. Just to make things more difficult, heating vents, wood burning stoves, and other heat sources should also be avoided.
50°F is about the lowest temperature poinsettias can tolerate, so when bringing your plants home from the store be sure to cover them before bringing them out into the cold air.
Poinsettia Care into the new year
Even though the stockings, ornaments, and inflatable grinches will be packed away, your poinsettia can remain a bright accent in your home for months to come.
Fertilize your poinsettia about once a month. I use Sea Magic Seaweed fertilizer on all my houseplants.
By late February or early March, if your plant begins to drop leaves and is looking a little worse for wear, cut the plants flowering stems back to about 6 inches in length to promote new growth.
If all is going well, just prior to the start of summer, repot your poinsettia into a container 2″-3″ larger.
During the summer, place your poinsettia on a nice sunny porch or similar location, as your plant will benefit from the outdoor humidity.
With any luck you will have a healthy but green bracted poinsettia.
Photoperiodic Induction
In order for poinsettias to achieve that familiar bright red color, they need darkness, at least 12-14 hours of absolute, uninterrupted darkness every night. Even the briefest flash of light can interfere with the process.
September 10th is the optimal date to begin the photoperiodic induction process in order to have a bright red poinsettia by Christmas.
During the day, the plant will still require bright light for about 8-10 hours to stay healthy.
From scratch
Most commercial growers produce their hybrid poinsettias from stem cuttings, but it is possible to grow poinsettias from seed but they rarely resemble their parent. Seeds also require a period of cold-stratification for the seeds to germinate.
Enjoy your poinettias!
Merry Christmas from all of us here at Shortmeadows.
