Poinsettias are the most popular decorative plants for the Christmas and New Year holiday seasons. The newer ones often remain colorful until spring and do not have to be discarded when they finish blooming. Following a few basic principles can bring the plants back into full bloom.
* Place the plant where it will receive a maximum amount of indoor sunlight.
* Avoid drafts that cause rapid temperature fluctuations and premature leaf drop.
* Night temperatures should be no cooler than 60?F to 65?F. Day temperatures should not exceed 80?F. Poinsettias will experience premature leaf drop at temperatures below 55?F.
* Keep the soil slightly moist, but not soggy.
* When you get a poinsettia, check to see that the soil drains adequately.
* About two weeks after acquiring the plant, fertilize it with a complete fertilizer according to package directions. Repeat this every seven to ten days until the plant loses its brightly colored bracts.
* Water thoroughly and allow water to drain through the container.
* Often poinsettias are sold in a paper or plastic sleeve, but they should not remain sleeved any longer than necessary. Ethylene gas can accumulate within the sleeve and cause premature flower drop and leaf curling. Leaf drop is a common malady in poinsettias.
Reflowering
Many of the new poinsettia cultivars will keep their leaves and remain attractive even in summer. If the plant retains its leaves, treat it like any houseplant. Place it in a sunny location and apply a complete fertilizer containing trace elements once every two weeks. As soon as night temperatures reach a minimum of 60?F, the plant can be set outside.
If a poinsettia plant drops its leaves or is no longer attractive, let the soil dry out and keep the plant in a cool location such as a basement window ledge; it still needs some light. The temperature should not rise above 60?F with about 50 to 55?F being best. Bring the plant out of its resting stage in late April or early May and cut the stems back to about 3 to 5 inches above the soil. If there is more than one plant per pot, separate them and replant in individual containers.
If repotting is necessary, use a soil mix that is loose, porous, and well-drained. Use a soil mixture composed of three parts garden [http://www.oldhouseweb.com/product-showcase/yard-and-garden/gardening/] loam, two parts organic matter (peat, compost, leaf mold) and one part per lite or vermiculite.This mixture should be pasteurized at or about 180?F for 30 minutes. You also can buy a premixed, pasteurized media. If you are mixing your own soil, add one teaspoon of super phosphate or bone meal for every 2 1/2 cups of soil mixture and thoroughly mix in.
After repotting, thoroughly water the plant with a fungicide solution to prevent disease infestation. Place the plant in a light, warm place and water whenever the soil begins to dry. As soon as the night temperature reaches a minimum of 60?F, the plant can be set outside. Place the plant in a shady location for two to three weeks to allow for acclimatization and to prevent leaf sun scald, then sink the pot in a sunny location with well-drained soil. Give the pot 1/4 turn every few weeks to break off any roots that might be growing through the drainage holes.
Once the new shoots are about 1 inch long, apply a complete fertilizer containing trace elements. Water soluble fertilizers are easiest to use. Slow release fertilizer also may be successfully used -- follow label directions.Fertilize plants at seven to ten day intervals. To prevent your poinsettia from getting too tall, pinch off or prune the growing tips when they are about 4-6inches long. If the new shoots grow another 5 inches before late August, repeat the process. Pruning shapes the plant to form an attractive compact growth.
When night temperatures become cool, 55?F-60?F, bring the plant indoors to a sunny location. Beginning Sept. 25, poinsettias need complete darkness from 5pm to 8 am daily. Put a cardboard box or other device over the plant to provide the "shorticulture day". Lights from any lamps will prevent normal flowering of an uncovered plant. Continue this "shorticulture day" treatment until the plant bracts show color in late November. Shorticulture days and 60-65?F night temperatures are essential for good bract development.
Poinsettias bloom according to day length. Varieties are grouped according to the amount of time between shorticulture days and the appearance of colored bracts. Cultivars such as Amy and Lady will bloom about eight weeks after the onset of shorticulture days. Jingle Bells and V-14 Glory will bloom about 10-11weeks after the onset of shorticulture days. Other cultivars may respond differently.
Disease and Insect Pests
Several insects may attack poinsettias: white flies, fungus gnats, mealybugs,and spider mites. The adult white fly is easily recognized; it is covered with a white, waxy powder and has an erratic flight pattern when disturbed. Fungus gnats are small, dark-colored flies about 1/8 inch long. They can be found either on the plant or soil surface. The adults are more of a nuisance, while the larvae tend to feed on plant tissue. Mealybugs are serious pests of poinsettias. These insects are soft-bodied and appear as a cottony mass, usually in the axis of the leaves.
Most serious diseases that affect poinsettias are soil-borne and are primarily fungi. Species of Rhizoctonia, Pythum and Phytophthora are the most common diseases. The easiest methods for controlling these disease organisms are by sanitation and periodic soil drenches with a recommended fungicide.
Propagation
If plants get too tall and you want to propagate them, take leafy cuttings during early to mid-August. Cuttings should be about 4 inches long and may be rooted in any pasteurized media.
The use of rooting compounds will increase the percentage of cuttings that will root and the rate of rooting. Place the pots where humidity is high. A terrarium or similar structure with high humidity is an ideal location for raising poinsettias.
The leaves on the cuttings should not wilt. To prevent this, reduce the amount of leafy surface by cutting some basal leaves in half--shading the cuttings. The more light the cuttings can be exposed to without wilting, the more rapidly the rooting and the more vigorous the rooted cutting. Keep the medium moist but not saturated with water. Air temperature of about 70?F by day and 60?F by night is best for rooting.Cuttings will root in about three to four weeks. Further treatment of the rooted cuttings is the same as for plants bought from commercial sources.
* Place the plant where it will receive a maximum amount of indoor sunlight.
* Avoid drafts that cause rapid temperature fluctuations and premature leaf drop.
* Night temperatures should be no cooler than 60?F to 65?F. Day temperatures should not exceed 80?F. Poinsettias will experience premature leaf drop at temperatures below 55?F.
* Keep the soil slightly moist, but not soggy.
* When you get a poinsettia, check to see that the soil drains adequately.
* About two weeks after acquiring the plant, fertilize it with a complete fertilizer according to package directions. Repeat this every seven to ten days until the plant loses its brightly colored bracts.
* Water thoroughly and allow water to drain through the container.
* Often poinsettias are sold in a paper or plastic sleeve, but they should not remain sleeved any longer than necessary. Ethylene gas can accumulate within the sleeve and cause premature flower drop and leaf curling. Leaf drop is a common malady in poinsettias.
Reflowering
Many of the new poinsettia cultivars will keep their leaves and remain attractive even in summer. If the plant retains its leaves, treat it like any houseplant. Place it in a sunny location and apply a complete fertilizer containing trace elements once every two weeks. As soon as night temperatures reach a minimum of 60?F, the plant can be set outside.
If a poinsettia plant drops its leaves or is no longer attractive, let the soil dry out and keep the plant in a cool location such as a basement window ledge; it still needs some light. The temperature should not rise above 60?F with about 50 to 55?F being best. Bring the plant out of its resting stage in late April or early May and cut the stems back to about 3 to 5 inches above the soil. If there is more than one plant per pot, separate them and replant in individual containers.
If repotting is necessary, use a soil mix that is loose, porous, and well-drained. Use a soil mixture composed of three parts garden [http://www.oldhouseweb.com/product-showcase/yard-and-garden/gardening/] loam, two parts organic matter (peat, compost, leaf mold) and one part per lite or vermiculite.This mixture should be pasteurized at or about 180?F for 30 minutes. You also can buy a premixed, pasteurized media. If you are mixing your own soil, add one teaspoon of super phosphate or bone meal for every 2 1/2 cups of soil mixture and thoroughly mix in.
After repotting, thoroughly water the plant with a fungicide solution to prevent disease infestation. Place the plant in a light, warm place and water whenever the soil begins to dry. As soon as the night temperature reaches a minimum of 60?F, the plant can be set outside. Place the plant in a shady location for two to three weeks to allow for acclimatization and to prevent leaf sun scald, then sink the pot in a sunny location with well-drained soil. Give the pot 1/4 turn every few weeks to break off any roots that might be growing through the drainage holes.
Once the new shoots are about 1 inch long, apply a complete fertilizer containing trace elements. Water soluble fertilizers are easiest to use. Slow release fertilizer also may be successfully used -- follow label directions.Fertilize plants at seven to ten day intervals. To prevent your poinsettia from getting too tall, pinch off or prune the growing tips when they are about 4-6inches long. If the new shoots grow another 5 inches before late August, repeat the process. Pruning shapes the plant to form an attractive compact growth.
When night temperatures become cool, 55?F-60?F, bring the plant indoors to a sunny location. Beginning Sept. 25, poinsettias need complete darkness from 5pm to 8 am daily. Put a cardboard box or other device over the plant to provide the "shorticulture day". Lights from any lamps will prevent normal flowering of an uncovered plant. Continue this "shorticulture day" treatment until the plant bracts show color in late November. Shorticulture days and 60-65?F night temperatures are essential for good bract development.
Poinsettias bloom according to day length. Varieties are grouped according to the amount of time between shorticulture days and the appearance of colored bracts. Cultivars such as Amy and Lady will bloom about eight weeks after the onset of shorticulture days. Jingle Bells and V-14 Glory will bloom about 10-11weeks after the onset of shorticulture days. Other cultivars may respond differently.
Disease and Insect Pests
Several insects may attack poinsettias: white flies, fungus gnats, mealybugs,and spider mites. The adult white fly is easily recognized; it is covered with a white, waxy powder and has an erratic flight pattern when disturbed. Fungus gnats are small, dark-colored flies about 1/8 inch long. They can be found either on the plant or soil surface. The adults are more of a nuisance, while the larvae tend to feed on plant tissue. Mealybugs are serious pests of poinsettias. These insects are soft-bodied and appear as a cottony mass, usually in the axis of the leaves.
Most serious diseases that affect poinsettias are soil-borne and are primarily fungi. Species of Rhizoctonia, Pythum and Phytophthora are the most common diseases. The easiest methods for controlling these disease organisms are by sanitation and periodic soil drenches with a recommended fungicide.
Propagation
If plants get too tall and you want to propagate them, take leafy cuttings during early to mid-August. Cuttings should be about 4 inches long and may be rooted in any pasteurized media.
The use of rooting compounds will increase the percentage of cuttings that will root and the rate of rooting. Place the pots where humidity is high. A terrarium or similar structure with high humidity is an ideal location for raising poinsettias.
The leaves on the cuttings should not wilt. To prevent this, reduce the amount of leafy surface by cutting some basal leaves in half--shading the cuttings. The more light the cuttings can be exposed to without wilting, the more rapidly the rooting and the more vigorous the rooted cutting. Keep the medium moist but not saturated with water. Air temperature of about 70?F by day and 60?F by night is best for rooting.Cuttings will root in about three to four weeks. Further treatment of the rooted cuttings is the same as for plants bought from commercial sources.