Keeping Poinsettias Alive and Thriving
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- February
- 26
Ask the Master Gardeners
Q: I received a beautiful poinsettia over the holidays. What should I do to keep this plant happy and healthy?
A: Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are one of the most popular holiday plants which, with proper care, continually give pleasure over the winter months. Plants are usually sold with the pot wrapped in colored foil. As this prevents proper drainage, it’s best to remove it or punch several holes in the bottom of the wrapper.
Poinsettias should be watered only when the soil is slightly dry to the touch. If they are kept in bright but not direct sunlight and a draft-free environment, they will last all winter.
To keep the poinsettia alive all year for another holiday display in December, follow these simple monthly steps.
February: Remove any wrapping and begin feeding the plant with a commercial plant food once a month.
March: Cut stems back 4 to 6 inches to force new growth.
April: Repot into a larger pot using an enriched potting soil.
May/June: Move the plant outdoors once the temperature remains above 60 degrees and feed the plant every two weeks.
July/August/September: Keep the plant in a shaded location, watering when necessary and feeding every two weeks. Pinch back every so often to keep the plant full.
October/November/December: In the fall, bring the plant indoors to a sunny window in a cool location, avoiding heating units. Stop feeding the plant but continue watering when the soil is dry. At this point, the plant needs at least 12 hours of darkness a day for at least 40 days to encourage the bracts to color. A dark basement or closet is a perfect location for the 12-hour daily blackout.
Finally, in December, as the bracts become a brilliant hue again, the poinsettia can again become the center of interest on the holiday table.
— Vivienne Dieckmann, Sloatsburg, master gardener, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland
This entry was posted
on Thursday, February 26th, 2009 at 11:23 am by Bill Cary.
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Bill Cary grew up in Louisville, Ky. His gardening was limited to growing parsley and impatiens on the windowsill of Manhattan walkups until the mid-1990s when he bought a rundown old chicken farm on 8 acres in the Hudson Valley. Now he spends his weekends chasing deer, hacking away at invasive shrubs and vines and wondering why he doesn`t have more meadow and less lawn.
Is this Vivienne Pochurko Dieckmann? If so, we are having a Villa 50th reunion on the 10th of October and Mary Ann Norton is organizing it. Get in touch with her at mbgehan@comcast.net. We would all love to see you. Malie