Poinsettia Plants Need Special Care to Bloom Again Next Year

By KARIN QUASS-HAURING, Master Gardener | Jan 19, 2012

 

The holidays are over. The Christmas tree is set by the curb to be picked up; all the decorations have been put away in boxes to be stored for next year.
All that is left are your poinsettia plants.
I have to warn you, it is a long process. Yes, indeed, I tried it and have come to the conclusion to walk my poinsettias to my compost bin the end of January, and let them rest in peace. After all, the plants did not look that glorious as the new crop of specimens showed up in green houses and stores the next Christmas.
Here are some tips to keep the plants alive and blooming for next season.

Poinsettia After Christmas Care

January - March: Keep watering the poinsettia whenever the surface is dry.
April: Starting April 1, gradually decrease water, allowing them to get dry between watering. 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 F.
May: In mid-May, cut the stems back to about 4 inches and repot in a slightly larger container, with new potting soil. Water it well. Place the newly potted plant back into the brightest window you have and once again keep it at a temperature of 65 to 75 degrees F. Continue watering whenever the surface of the soil feels dry.
June: Move the poinsettia outside, pot and all. Keep it in a partially shaded location and maintain your watering and fertilizing schedule. Watch for new growth. Once new growth appears, begin fertilizing every two weeks with a complete fertilizer. Follow fertilizer label recommendations.
July: In early July, pinch back each stem by about one inch. This is to encourage a stout, well-branched plant. If left unpinched, 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 three to four leaves on each shoot. Bring the plant back indoors and back into your brightest window. Continue watering and fertilizing.
September: Continue regular watering and fertilizing. Make sure the temperature stays above 65 degrees F.
October: Poinsettias are short-day plants, meaning the length of daylight affects their bud set. To re-bloom, poinsettias need about 10 weeks with 12 hours or less of sunlight per day. You will have to artificially create these conditions and it’s crucial that you be diligent.
Beginning Oct. 1, keep your plant in complete darkness from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. Any exposure to light will delay blooming. Use an opaque box or material to block out light. Many people place their plants in a closet, but if light gets in through the cracks or if you open and use the closet, it will affect the bud set.
Move the plant back to the sunny window during the daytime and continue watering and fertilizing.
November: Around the last week of November, you can stop the darkness treatment and allow the plant to remain in the window. You should see flower buds at this point
December: Stop fertilizing about Dec. 15. Keep watering and treat your plant the way you did when you first brought it home in bloom. If all has gone well, it should be back in bloom and ready to begin the process all over again.

Karin Quass-Hauring is a long time Fairfield resident, Master Gardener and commissioner of the Fairfield Beautification Commission.