In mid January most people throw the Poinsetta away. It's very difficult but occasionally somebody succeeds to get the Poinsetta in bloom for a second time. If you want to try it: You have to cut the Poinsetta back to half it size and give him a place were it's cooler then 12 degrees Celsius. After a while new shoots will appear in your Poinsetta. Then you must give it a new container and grow warmer. In the summer maybe you can give it a place outside. You have to fertilize every two weeks ones with a fertilizer that contains micronutrients. If you want that the Poinsetta to bloom with Christmas again then you have to place it in absolutely darkness for 14 hours a day for two months before Christmas. When you don't place the Poinsetta in the darkness then the plant will bloom maybe in the spring.

Plant poinsettas in the spring when it is warmed under a tree, in some kind of semi-shade, (don't take them out of their pots). Try not to put them under an evergreen or oak, (their leaves are acicic, poinsettas don't like this).

I think the secret to saving pointsettas is lots of water. I placed a three foot planter with four pointsettas in a south facing bedroom last fall. We encased the planter in plastic sheeting and I gave it about a gallon of water once a week. The lights were on only once in a while at night otherwise that was all I did. I had the most beautiful flowers anyone here had ever seen. There were red and pink in the same planter. I plan on doing the same thing this fall, after all the first pointsettas came from a swamp!

Poinsettias - I grow mine on the SOUTH side of my home, in a well mulched and pourous, rich soil. The plant stays in-ground all year and I prune it after the last freeze (Usually early March here). I feed it with a 20-20-20 Miracle Grow Fertilizer about every 5-6 weeks. The plant grows very well and very tall...some shoots go to 7-8 ft. Prior to the middle of September I "Pinch" the center top of EACH leaf growth and discard the residue. This causes/results in at least 3 new leaves to grow in that spot where they were "Pinched". THESE will be the "Bracts" that will turn RED for the Christmas Season. Needless to say, they must get NO Light at night during this part of the growth time. I have had mine (both the RED and the Yellow Leaf variety) growing for the last 6 years and they always come back tall and healthy.

Our Q&A section has become a very popular place to ask gardening questions but we would really like to receive some answers from you as well. If you think you have useful advice and tips, no matter how short, please send them to us at Yourgarden Q&A

Copyright © 2002 Yourgarden.com
webmaster@yourthemes.com