Poinsettias are native Mexican plants. They thrive during the holiday season because they are short-day plants that require long nights to launch their color change. The colorful bracts of these plants are leaves, not flowers, with the most common bract color being red. The flower buds are the red or green buttons in the center of the bracts that open to a small yellow flower. Healthy poinsettias have dark green leaves below the bracts and foliage all the way to the base. With proper care and attention, your poinsettia can brighten your home for months to come.
Consider these tips. Protect the plants from freezing temperatures, especially when transporting them. Place them in a light-filled room away from drafts. Have I understood correctly that after the red blooms fall off, I am to cut each stem down a bit?
How often do I need to fertilize? Jewelle, Here is the link for the information about your poinsettia. Happy gardening! Mary, The most important thing when trying to to turn your poinsettias red again is the darkness. If you have a closet and can block off light from getting in at the top, sides or bottom this should probably work.
I would not be worried about the humidity. Best of luck! Hi Joe, Can I leave the plant in the closet 24 hours. Or do I need to bring it out each day? I would leave it in bright light while you are away and resume the rotation when you return.
I have three pointsettia plants on a table facing complete sun during the day. Since it is now almost November, is there any way I can get the foilage to turn red? These plants are thriving and are beautiful.
Can I still put them in a closet? Catherine, Here is a link about turning your poinsettias red again. Hope this information helps.
Happy gardening. I have just started the process of placing my poinsettia under a cardboard box for 14 hours each night in order to encourage it to bloom. My question: I have to be away overnight occasionally over the next few weeks and will not be able to cover or uncover the plant while away.
On my overnights away, do you think it best for me to leave the plant in total darkness covered by the box — maybe 48 hours — or is it best for me to leave the plan uncovered and start covering it again when I get home?
Thank you. I would leave the plant uncovered and start again when you return from your trip. Fuzail, Here is a link about turning your poinsettias red again. You need total darkness for a consistent period each day. While you might get lucky, the protocol would not be satisfied using your idea. My poinsettia got too cold because I walked across the street with it in 20 degree weather. The leaves are wilted and limp. Should I move it to a warmer room and should I cut the limp leaves off or?? Hi Linda.
If the exposure was short term the damage may be minimal. It should put on plenty of new growth once it warms up. I live in Honolulu and have kept my poinsettia in the same pot on my lanai since Christmas. I water it every days. It also has some white powdery fungus looking stuff on a few branches. Should I prune it, repot it, spray it with something to get rid of the white stuff? Ian so excited that I have kept my poinsettia alive from last christmas!
Can I just put a plastic bag over it for the 14 hours a day? The key is total darkness Amy. If you use a green bag would that help instead of putting it in a dark room for x number of hours a day. The green bag will block the green light waves and would make the plant turn red to try and find other light waves to use is what I am thinking. I have, to my best, attempted try to let my Poinsettia be in total darkness for 14 hours…then I set it where light can get to it.
This has being going on for at least 4 weeks or more. None of the leaves are turning red but, I do have new growth. What am I doing wrong? What if I just leave it in the closet for a while? The right amount of light each day is part of the formula Laura. It is indeed a lot of work to turn the leaves red. Hi Laura. My plant started showing red veins after 3 days utilizing this process so I know it works. I planted my poinsettia in a big pot on my veranda and it turned green..
If I cover it with black garbage bag , from what time till what time is best to leave the garbage bag on the poinsettia plant? Hmmm, the black garbage back worries me. No air and high heat is not good for your poinsettia. I set my pot on a bench in the shed in front of a window and place a brown paper sack over it for darkness and remove it the next day.
Works like a charm. Ask at your grocery store, the box is what they pack cartons of eggs in. Perfect size to go over the plant! The cardboard breathes, and the plant wont overheat. I commend folks who place a box over their poinsettias every night to force the leaves to turn red. I know I could never keep it up for weeks! This is why I persuaded my husband to build a special box that I could hang grow lights from and cover the top of the box so that it is in complete darkness when the light is off.
This my first year using this method and I set the timer so that the light would be on for 9 hours and was careful to only check on the plants when the light was on. And I have success! I am so excited! Next year I will pay put the box, in a warmer area and fertilize more frequently and will hopefully have better results! Kerry, Thanks for sharing this tip with us. This is a popular question and it sounds like you have come up with a very workable solution worth sharing with others looking for ways to get their poinsettias to rebloom.
My plant is in week four of 14 hours of darkness and only one small leaf is beginning to turn red. But I plan to keep going until the end if December. I had success last year with the same plant which was smaller but thought l would see more color by now. Joe does the temperature matter while the plant is in darkness? A little suggestion from Cathy in ct.
I will try it as soon as I pick up an extra timer. Hi Joe — really useful, clear advice, thanks! I remember doing experiments with plant leaves along these lines in school — not sure if it would work in this case though. Hey Alex. Thanks for the nice words. Maybe if you use that easy-to-remove painters tape. Just let mother nature handle it as the days get shorter it automatically triggers blooming as long as you do not have strong artificial light on at night.
It is dark here at night, no street lights as in country. So I will continue leaving it in front of the windows as its the only time I have ever had a poinsetta live let alone change color. I just keep it where it is and watered normally and gave it fertilizer in late August. Love the article — learn something new everyday! Pick a slightly bigger pot, tease out the roots to break up any circular pattern, and freshen up the soil.
Hope that answers your question. Sorry to hear that Betty. If the branches are broken, then I would simply focus on keeping it alive and not putting it in the closet at night to force red leaves. Just forego that this season and keep it in a protected environment where it is not exposed to frost of freezing temps. Once it warms up where you live, prune back the broken leaves in early spring and let nature take its course.
Then try again with the leaf turning process next fall. This article is mega useful as I was wondering how on earth I was going to turn my poinsettia red again. I had a tiny one last Christmas in the office and eventually all the leaves dropped off. Bought a new pot and brought it back into the office where it sits on a windowsill, and it has gone bananas! My question is — can I leave it in the dark for 48 hours over the weekend? Any advice? I could take it home of course.
Good luck Amy. I too started my attempts at turning a poinsettia in an office setting. I manage to keep my poinsettia alive since December. No direct sunlight. I was afraid it would died! Is it too late to do any of this to be ready to turn green by Christmas? Or should I just leave it as is? I cost you 10 days already! Good luck Tracy. And by the way, if you do nothing, let us know what happens.
But it should respond well if you follow the above. Water and medium shade and keep out of direct afternoon sun are key until it recovers over a week to 10 days at least. Thanks for the info on turning the leaves red again. I planted my December poinsettia in a large pot and it has grown and done well this year. The pot is outside so i was thinking of a black trash bag. And, do you think I need to tie the bottom of the bag?
Secondly, what happens if I leave the bag on for more than 14 hours, say 15 or 16 hours? Thank you! Hi Karen. The biggest problem I see with the black plastic is that it can cook your plant.
Although poinsettias like it warm, being wrapped in plastic outdoors, even in cool climates can kill your plant. Any light leaks can break the cycle and your efforts to turn leaves red can fail. Perhaps a reader will offer suggestions on how to make this happen. Thanks Joe, great advice re the cardboard!
I put the plant in a dark closest that is not used with a black plastic bag. I broke the process once by not putting it in on time. So getting into a schedule is important. The plant has grown over the summer on the porch and I am ready to start the process again. Thanks Joe! I thought the red would start showing in about 4 weeks, not 3 days! Paul, your poinsettia needs total darkness cycles. Keeping an office plant at the office over the weekend in hopes of it turning red again can be a challenge.
While you might be successful, the only way to really give your plant the best chance of turning red again is to bring it home with you. Assuming this is not practical, do all you can during the week and lets see how this turns out. Ive had a happy Poinsettia since last Christmas. We just moved it to a larger pot with new dirt, and its very happy and growing new green leaves.
However alot of the Red leaves are falling off. From what im reading in this article, this is OK? I just need to move this to somewhere darker in about August so they will turn Red again? Stay tuned to this blog in for creative ideas, fascinating history and updates on quality Mellano and Company products. We are looking forward to sharing our love for the cut-flower and potted-plant industry with all of you in the new year! Flowers Wholesale. Farm Floral.
Mass Market. Succulent Bouquets. Keep watering your plant through January, February, and March whenever the surface of the soil is dry. Starting in April gradually decrease water allowing the plant to dry out between waterings.
Do not let any part of the plant touch the cold window since this could injure the plant. Temperature Maintain a daytime temperature between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime temperature between 60 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit to extend the blooming time.
Poinsettias do not tolerate warm or cold drafts which may cause premature leaf drop, so keep them away from radiators, air vents, and fans as well as open windows or doors. High temperatures will shorten the file of the bracts. Water only if surface is dry to the touch. Over watering will make the leaves turn yellowish in color and fall off, while under watering will cause the plant to wilt and lose its leaves.
Use enough water so that it drains out the bottom of the pot, but remove the excess water from the tray or soil around the pot. Do not leave the plant standing in water. Overly wet soil lacks sufficient air, resulting in root injury. By following these simple steps, you can ensure your poinsettia will brighten your home all holiday season. Do not fertilize when it is blooming. Use the following schedule. Fertilize as needed every 2 weeks with an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer at recommended rates.
During this time, side shoots will develop below the bracts and grow up above the old flowering stems. In early March in order to have a well-shaped plant for the following year, you need to cut each of the old flowering stems or branches back to 4 to 6 inches in height.
Leave one to three leaves on each of the old stems or branches. New growth will come from the buds located in the leaf axils. Cutting the plant back will cause the buds to grow and develop. Keep the plant in a sunny window at a temperature between 60 and 70 degrees fahrenheit. Check your plant for signs of insects such as whitefly.
Remove faded and dried parts of the plant. Add more soil, preferably a commercially available sterile soil mix. Starting April 1st, gradually decrease water, allowing the plant to get dry between waterings. Be careful the stem does not begin to shrivel. This is a sign the plant is too stressed and is dying.
In a week or two, when the plant has acclimated to this drying process, move it to a cool spot like the basement or a heated garage.
You want to keep it at about 60 degrees fahrenheit. Water well.
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