What do I do with my poinsettia after it blooms?
Trim the poinsettia back so that just a few leaves are left. With proper care, poinsettia bracts can be maintained until about March or April. Once they begin to fall, cut the plant back, leaving about six buds. For the first couple of weeks, the plant will resemble a stick. One final caution: don’t over-water your poinsettia or let it sit in standing water. Holiday plants are often wrapped in shiny green or red foil, and this foil is often kept on since it makes the plant more attractive when the plastic pot beneath remains hidden.Poinsettias do not like to be watered from the top down. They prefer to be watered by being placed in a basin of water with at least 2” of water in it. Let the plant soak the water up from the bottom for at least 2 hours. This is the best way to water the plant every 2-3 days depending on how dry your home is.poinsettias need warmth and plenty of natural, filtered light, so being close to a radiator shouldn’t be a problem. Don’t keep them near the fire, doorways or windows. Cosy temperatures are the way forward with this stunning red leafy plant.Poinsettias will classically drop their leaves if they are exposed to sudden changes in temperature, drafts or overly cool or dry rooms. They also will lose leaves and wilt in response to an extreme need for water.
How do you get a poinsettia to rebloom?
Find a location where the poinsettia will get 14 hours of continuous, uninterrupted darkness and 10 hours of bright light. Some varieties may need as little as 10 hours of darkness, but 14 hours ensures rapid bloom initiation for all varieties. Timed lights can be helpful for this process. It’s a common misconception that poinsettias only live for a year and die off after the holidays, but it’s not true! Poinsettias are actually perennials, which means that, if taken care of, they will keep coming back year after year with multiple blooms throughout it’s life!Pruning may be required during the summer to keep plants bushy and compact. Late June or early July is a good time for this step, but be sure not to prune your plant later than September 1. Keep the plants in indirect sun and water regularly. Around June 1, you may transplant your poinsettia into a larger pot.In the fall, around mid-September to early October, poinsettias need complete darkness between sundown and sunrise for them to flower. Any light can negatively impact the flowering process, so keep them in a dark closet that isn’t opened and closed during those nighttime hours.So, if your poinsettia has lost its red colours, the best way to get it back is to give it at least 13 hours of complete darkness every single evening for a few weeks in the run-up to Christmas. It’s best to do this between October and mid-November.If left un-pinched, the poinsettia will grow tall and spindly. August: By mid-August, the stems should have branched and leafed out. Once again, pinch or cut the new stems, leaving 3-4 leaves on each shoot.
What happens if you don’t prune a poinsettia?
Pruning your poinsettia is important to encourage healthy growth and prepare it for the next flowering phase. After flowering, poinsettias lose their beautiful leaves and become bare. Cutting back the shoots encourages vigorous growth. These slowly fill with water, letting the plants drink from the bottom up—so the roots get exactly what they need without ever wetting the foliage. And here’s your at-home hack 👉 Place your poinsettia in a sink or basin with a few centimetres of water and let it absorb from the base. Works for most houseplants too!Poinsettias like evenly moist soil—never too dry or too soggy. Check Moisture: Water when the top inch feels dry. Drainage: Water thoroughly but remove any excess from the saucer. Frequency: Typically once per week depending on temperature and humidity.With proper care – such as adequate light, regular watering, and appropriate temperature, Poinsettias’ life expectancy can last for several months. Some Poinsettias can live for years if they’re kept in a suitable environment. After plant repotting, they can be encouraged to bloom again with the right light cycles.In ideal conditions, a poinsettia can look good well into February, while committed plant owners can keep the plant alive year-round – and even encourage it to re-flower the following Christmas. However, once the tiny yellow flowers at the centre of the bracts drop, the plant may no longer look its festive best.
How many times will a poinsettia bloom?
Poinsettias can be kept year after year, and they will bloom each year if you give them proper care. When the leaves begin to yellow or when the plant is no longer desired as an ornamental, gradually withhold water. The leaves will pale and fall off. Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) need total darkness, for 14 hours each day, starting about eight weeks before you want to display them. During the day, the plants need bright light, along with the other routine care. However, starting in the evening, the plants must get complete darkness.Beginning in mid- to late October, place poinsettias in a completely dark location from 5 p. Interrupting the darkness by even a few minutes can prevent coloring. Once the bracts show color, move the plant into normal light.When they get too dry, they’ll shed quickly — and keeping that pot cover on traps water and leads to overwatering. Keep the soil moist to the touch 👉 Remove the pot cover so it can drain Simple fixes that will keep your poinsettias healthy and beautiful all season long.In late April, prune your poinsettia, cutting all the stems back by one third. For a more compact plant, keep only two or three leaves on each stem. Be sure to mist the plant with water to limit the seepage of latex and prevent it from drying out. Poinsettias do not like to have wet feet .Give the plant a period of darkness This phenomenon usually begins in mid-September, sometimes earlier for certain cultivars. Often, in a home or an apartment, the naturally shorter daylength is not enough. To get a poinsettia to rebloom in time for the holiday season, it needs a period of total darkness every day.
How do you save a poinsettia for next year?
Place them in a light-filled room away from drafts. They do best in rooms between 55 and 65 F at night and 65 to 70 F during the day. Keep poinsettias away from cooler locations and avoid exposing them to temperatures below 50 F. Water poinsettias when the soil is dry 2 to 3 inches down. Poinsettias can be kept year after year, and they will bloom each year if you give them proper care. When the leaves begin to yellow or when the plant is no longer desired as an ornamental, gradually withhold water. The leaves will pale and fall off.Most people don’t know this, but poinsettias should never be top-watered. Keep water off the leaves—those colourful bracts can spot or wilt fast!Water your poinsettia when the top of the soil feels dry. Usually, that’s about once a week. Give it a good soak, let it drain, and don’t let water sit in the saucer. Warmer rooms may need slightly more frequent watering.One helpful trick is to learn how to water poinsettias with ice cubes! With this technique, the ice cube waters the plant slowly and evenly as it melts. At the suggested rate of one ice cube per inch of pot diameter, a typical 6” pot would call for six ice cubes.
How many years will a poinsettia live?
If you choose to keep it alive year round as a houseplant, a poinsettia can last for 10 or even 20 years. In its native habitat, it can grow into a 10- to 15-foot shrub and live for decades, but kept as a houseplant it will stay small. With proper care, poinsettia bracts can be maintained until about March or April. Once they begin to fall, cut the plant back, leaving about six buds. For the first couple of weeks, the plant will resemble a stick. Water and fertilize as before, and by May it will begin to leaf out again.If you choose to keep it alive year round as a houseplant, a poinsettia can last for 10 or even 20 years. In its native habitat, it can grow into a 10- to 15-foot shrub and live for decades, but kept as a houseplant it will stay small.Pruning may be required during the summer to keep plants bushy and compact. Late June or early July is a good time for this step, but be sure not to prune your plant later than September 1. Keep the plants in indirect sun and water regularly. Around June 1, you may transplant your poinsettia into a larger pot.