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Many
of the improved varieties offered today last an amazingly long time. To help
them last and keep them looking good, keep the room temperatures between 60 and
68 degrees (if possible) and with very high humidity. Temperatures over 75 are
really hard on poinsettias, especially with low humidity. Try to place your
poinsettia by a bright window just out of direct sunlight. Remove it from the
window at night if there is a danger of chilling. Keep soil moisture at moderate
and uniform levels, and never let the pot stand in water.
Re-blooming
poinsettias is a common goal, but bear in mind that this is one of the most
difficult plants to succeed with. If you’re a gambler, or a die-hard
horticulturalist, here are the basic steps to improve your success.
After
you are done displaying your poinsettia, gradually withhold water. The leaves
should soon turn yellow and drop. Store the dried-off plant in a cool (meaning
50 to 60 degrees), dry, dark basement room until April or May. During this
period, water lightly with just enough to keep the roots and stems from drying
out too much.
When
you bring the plant back up, prune stems to about six inches. Remove from the
pot, take some old soil from the roots, then repot using a well-drained mixture.
If there are several plants in the pot, separate and pot them individually. Use
a pot that provides plenty of room. Water the plant well and place in a warm,
sunny spot for renewed plant growth. You can put the plants outside when frost
danger has passed, but be wary of direct sun during the hottest part of the day.
You may have to repot the plant if it becomes root bound.
If
you’re into starting cuttings, you may have decent success by starting new
plants from the shoots that appear on your old cut-back plant in the spring.
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Keep
the plant actively growing during the summer months by watering regularly and
applying a complete liquid fertilizer every couple of weeks. As new shoots form,
pinch them back so that two nodes (leaf pairs) remain on each. Stop pinching off
shoots in August. Also, you may want to remove some of the weaker stems
completely, allowing only a few of the stronger ones to develop. Control insects
as they appear, and if plants become diseased they should be pitched.
Before
cool weather in the fall, place the plant inside in a south window with full sun
through the day. Watch the temperatures and moistures. Temperatures should be 60
to 65 during the day and 70 to 75 at night. Moisture should be moderate.
Starting the last week of September, your plant should only be exposed to
natural sunlight (this means no house lights after dark). Probably the best
method is to put the plant in a closet overnight. Once the leaf color forms, you
can increase non-daylight light.
With these
recommendations, and a little bit of luck, your poinsettia should be ready for
the holiday season.
Office closed for
holidays
The Extension office will be closed for the holidays,
beginning Dec. 23, and will reopen on Jan. 2. Best wishes for the holiday
season!
[John
Fulton]
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Pointers
on keeping poinsettias