I only recently started blogging, so I’m still learning how to do this. These colored leaves only appear during days with the shortest daylight hours. The tiny plastic planter that poinsettias are typically sold in is far too small for poinsettias to grow in comfortably, and is likely the cause of the plant looking sick just after the holidays. Starving the poinsettia of light during this time encourages it to produce that familiar red bloom. However, cold drafts, allowing the leaves to touch a cold window, or more importantly, lack of decent light, can injure the leaves and cause premature leaf drop. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. (hint, hint) The simplest way to do this is to find a cardboard box big enough to set over the plant with the flaps splayed on the floor so no light gets in. Following these steps won’t guarantee your poinsettia will thrive all year, but it can keep them healthy and alive for many months after the traditional holidays come to an end. For complete details of how to make your poinsettia rebloom, check out these instructions from a University of Vermont horticulture professor. Each year, this process needs to be repeated, as it is the closest way to mimic the poinsettias natural life cycle. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know with a comment on a post. Continue to fertilize the plant twice a month until mid December. Give them as much bright light as you are able to, as light exposure is how the plants absorb the energy required to produce such vivid colors. Every year around the end of November or the beginning of December, Poinsettias start flying off the shelves, literally. Though it does take a bit of extra effort and attention, poinsettias can be kept alive throughout the year, and even coerced into re-blooming during the holidays. Poinsettias have long been the most popular holiday plant — even though they aren’t grown for their flowers! They are vibrant and help us to get in the Christmas spirit. Continue watering and fertilizing as usual during this time. If you notice little change to the colour of the bracts, make sure the plant is in total darkness for 3 weeks (or longer), or try longer periods of darkness or more days of it being subject to darkness. They need to be in darkness for 14 to 15 hours a day. The challenge is to make the poinsettia bracts turn red again for the second Christmas in a row! There are a few poinsettia varieties that have variegated leaves, or leaves that continue to change color throughout the blooming period. With this combination, the plants will change colors. Caring for Your Poinsettia When It’s In Bloom. Make sure to protect them from dramatic temperature drops as this will cause their leaves to prematurely wilt. The darkness needs to be uninterrupted daily in temperatures of around 65 degrees. Provide full, diffused sun, water lightly, and prune (with gloves on) if the plant becomes leggy. I hope you will stick with me as I begin my journey down this path. The Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service published a fantastic, simple chart that details how to make a poinsettia reflower. … Upon purchase, make sure the plant is wrapped up for protection against chilly weather as you transport it home. Tips to Make Your Poinsettia Bloom. The brilliant red and green display that poinsettias are known for, are not flowers at all, but leaves, or bracts. I got the above information from a very informative website called Empress of dirt. Most suggest around 14 hours. But once you are used to the cycle, it’s really not as much work as it sounds. Not all poinsettias change from green to red, though it is the most common color transition. Don’t cut off watering completely, but water lightly only when the soil around the plant has dried out entirely. I created this blog in order to share with you my love for indoor plants. Orchid plants produce beautiful flowers for about 1 to 3 months. How Long Does a Poinsettia Bloom? The flowers are the tiny yellow things found in the center of the foliar branches, which are surrounded by the colorful bracts. Basically, you want to treat poinsettias like any houseplant: Give them bright light, don’t over-water them and make sure to feed them with a liquid houseplant fertilizer. It’s possible to re-bloom your poinsettia plant after Christmas with a few simple tricks. According to the tale, a young child from a poor family, who had no money to buy a gift, gathered a basket full of weeds from the fields and brought them into the local church in order to decorate the altar on Christmas eve. Daytime: keep your poinsettia in the sunniest location you have. When you notice leaves dropping, cut its stems down to four to six inches. April: Begin gradually decreasing the amount of water that you give your poinsettia. In addition, make sure it receives plenty of indirect sunlight. An ideal way to get the poinsettia to turn red is to place it in a closet every evening (one that is never opened) along with a bowl of water. Poinsettias are usually sold in tiny plastic planters that are wrapped in shiny plastic decorative wrap that makes it nearly impossible for water to drain out of the planter properly. Once the holidays end and the poinsettia’s color begins to fade, encourage your poinsettia to enter dormancy until springtime by reducing the amount of water you give it. Place the plant in a room that you don’t usually use at night, but that is at least moderately sunny during the day: a guest room, for example. Poinsettia life cycle may seem a bit complicated, but this short-day plant must satisfy certain growing requirements in order to bloom. If it has grown since the last check, trim the stems back down to 6 inches (15 cm) or to your desired size, leaving 3 or 4 new leaves on the stems. Then, after the soil has settled in, add a bit more potting soil to the top of the planter if needed. When repotting your poinsettia, use a potting soil that is especially formulated for houseplants and provide an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer as the time of the repotting. Alternate between periods of light and total darkness every single day for 6 to 8 weeks. They should stay showy for several weeks, until just after Christmas. Poinsettias are the subject of an excellent legend which ties them to the Christmas season, aside from their red and green hues. Your poinsettia plant should have a rounded shape, with dense and compact growth. Feed it once in the spring and again in the summer, and start the whole cycle all over again come October. Then plant it (in the pot) outside. If you want your poinsettia to bloom (change color) again, follow the instructions above. Put the poinsettia in a room that isn’t lit at night and it will bloom. When fall temperatures begin to drop, bring the plant indoors. In the United States alone, 35 million poinsettias in containers are brought into American homes to bring in some holiday cheer, the vast majority of which are purchased during the holiday season. However, the first time you repot your poinsettia, especially if it was kept in a tiny pot and has become rootbound, you should increase your container size to a planter that is twice as large as the dinky little plastic planter that most poinsettias are sold in. Once your poinsettias are red as Santa’s suit, reduce the darkness and resume regular waterings. Resume regular watering provisions in March or April and provide an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer as directed on the package. I’ve had indoor plants for long time, but I’ve only recently become serious about really learning how to take good care of them. If given a new pot and fresh potting soil, your poinsettias will bounce back rather quickly, and though they won’t be as colorful, poinsettias still make an attractive houseplant when their bracts are less vibrantly colored. To keep the poinsettia in bloom as long as possible, maintain a temperature of 65 to 75 F during the day. You may have to take extra measures to ensure that your plants don’t accidentally catch a glimpse of light during their dark time, such as covering the entire plant in a cardboard box, or keeping the plant in a dark closet. From October 1 to December 1 (or for at least 40 days), a poinsettia will need a strict light/dark regimen to produce color. In May, cut back the foliage so that only about four inches of stem remains, then repot the plant in fresh potting mix. In July, pinch off the lateral shoots. If you choose to move it outdoors, keep it in a protected location away from heavy winds. To make them turn red, you need to restrain exposure to light. Ask Ciscoe: How to get your Camellia and Poinsettia to bloom Master Pacific Northwest Gardener, Ciscoe Morris, won't keep you in the dark about how to get those winter blooms. The TRUE flowers are the small yellow berries, called cyathia, in the center of the large colorful bracts. When the holiday season rolls around again, you won’t have to fork out cash for purchasing new poinsettias, because you wisely chose to keep yours around. This definitely sounds like a lot of work, but if I decide to give it a try, I will let you know how it goes. Continue until you see the outer bracts displaying their distinctly vibrant coloration. To promote a bushier growth habit, pinch the tips of new growth until mid-August. Water as usual until early April, then stop watering and allow the soil to dry out. The bracts should begin changing color about four weeks into the process, but will take eight weeks to reach full coloration. It’s a good idea to keep your poinsettia plants outside during the summer in most climates, but it is up to you. Even the smallest amount of stray light will upset the schedule and the poinsettia will not flower. The soil surface around the poinsettia should be about 1 inch below the new pot's rim after you add potting soil. To get a poinsettia to bloom with a full cohort of leaves, first bring it indoors early in the fall, while night temperatures indoors and out are pretty much equal. Month – by – Month Poinsettia Re-bloom Guide. Imagine the kind of holiday cheer a 15 foot poinsettia bush can bring when its outer bracts turn bright, Rudolph the reindeer-nose red. Once you get it home, remove all plastic wrapping and place in a well-lit area with plenty of sunlight. | Powered by WordPress. Poinsettias are perennial plants, and if provided with the appropriate growing environment and regular care, they can live quite a long time, and if they are given enough room, they can even grow into massive bushes, reaching heights of ten to 15 feet. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. From what it says on the website, the results are extremely hit and miss, and sometimes the colors are not as bright when it reblooms the second time, so definitely don’t feel bad you just feel like tossing it out instead of putting in the work. With just a little bit of extra attention, you can turn last year’s poinsettia into this year’s holiday centerpiece. While inside, the poinsettia should remain in warm temperatures between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Your email address will not be published. You'll need to provide 13 to 16 hours of complete and uninterrupted darkness daily. When autumn comes around again and the days become shorter, cut back on feeding and bring the plant or plants back inside. Poinsettia Care . To maintain your poinsettia bloom, keep temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. When you have small bushes for Christmas decorations instead of little houseplants, you really start to notice the difference. When a poinsettia has red leaves, it’s in a flowering stage which last several weeks and sometimes months. Required fields are marked *. Thank you for stopping by! As the congregation looked on in astonishment, the weeds transformed before their very eyes, into an awe-inspiring, colorful display of green and red flowers. Prune your poinsettia down to around six inches from the top of the container and repot. Make sure the plant is wrapped up to protect it from chilly weather as you transport it from the store. The real reward is seeing your poinsettias grow to impressively large sizes. The key to getting your poinsettia to turn red (or to re-shade), is the elimination of light. January – March: Water your poinsettia whenever you find that the surface of the soil is dry to the touch. Without these lengths of evening darkness, poinsettias will not flower. If you want to get your poinsettia to rebloom beginning in October, this is what you need to do. Most plants don’t need darkness to turn colors, but Poinsettias do. Someone gave me a poinsettia for Christmas, and instead of throwing it out when it finishes blooming, I’m going to try to get it to rebloom. You can’t, really. Now unscrew all the light bulbs in the room. -  Designed by Thrive Themes Our gardening obsessed editors and writers choose every product we review. As you did the year before, cut back on watering during September and October, exposing your poinsettias to bright days and complete darkness during the night. Keep the plant warm and the soil mostly dry. For best results, keep your poinsettia in a warm room and mist it daily. Their noticeable deterioration causes most people to believe they are dead or dying, which is why so many Poinsettias are tossed out in the trash each January. How to Get Your Poinsettia to Bloom Again Next Year Keep your poinsettias in a humid environment during this period, but don’t mist the leaves directly, as it could cause leaf spot. Therefore, it’s not a bad idea to replant your poinsettia as soon as you get it home from the store. Since you removed the light bulbs, even if you enter the room in the … Copyright text 2018 by Indoor Green Thumb. I really don’t know all that much about them yet, but I figured the best way to learn is to try to teach others how to do it, so this blog is my way of really getting serious about learning as much as possible about how to take care of indoor plants. Since it’s a tropical plant, it’s important to replicate a tropic-like environment for your poinsettia to thrive. Some varieties have bracts that change from a deep green to a brighter or lighter green, pink, white, and a few other variations. But do not expect to see your poinsettia flower again quite yet. Each morning, you'll need to place it in a sunny spot for necessary light during the … Poinsettias will bloom year after year if you care for them properly. You should allow the soil to get dry between waterings. All Rights Reserved. Poinsettia’s origin story has one minor flaw, however. The bowl of water will increase the humidity level inside the dark closet. That way the plant will already be acclimated and won’t lose leaves. If you want to get your poinsettia to rebloom beginning in October, this is what you need to do. Willey Farms - Make a Poinsettia bloom using ribbon - YouTube Pinch small shoots off in order to encourage bushiness. Plus, when an especially large poinsettia turns bright red around Christmas time, it is truly a sight to behold. Alternate between periods of light and total darkness every single day for 6 to 8 weeks. The Key for Poinsettia Rebloom Now it would have been nice to have it bloom at Christmas instead of February. Dropping the temperature to about 60 F at night will not hurt the plant. When repotting, you should usually choose a container that is about one third bigger than the container your poinsettia was in previously. Getting your poinsettias to produce their brilliant holiday colors again is a little bit tricky, but once you know how to do it, the success rate is actually very high. Water well as soon as you place your poinsettia in its new home to help the soil settle in around the plant. Please log in again. And since you gave your poinsettia a new home in a larger pot nearly a year ago, it will be significantly larger this time around. How to make poinsettia red again. The link to the information is below. Promise! After the holiday season, the color of the bracts start to fade and, due to the poor growing environment caused by the way most poinsettias are packaged, the plants start to look sick. It's somewhat tricky to get your poinsettia to bloom again. Gardening Channel. The color transformation of the plant’s lovely bracts occurs when the plants are given precise periods of complete darkness. Nighttime: provide complete uninterrupted darkness for 12 to 15 hours a day (whatever fits your schedule). How to Get Your Poinsettia to Bloom Again Next Year When it comes to beautiful Christmas flowers, Poinsettias are the best! Fill gaps with more potting soil, and water the soil thoroughly. From September to December, place your poinsettia pot in a completely dark location, or cover it completely and opaquely, from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. every evening, ensuring that it is not disturbed by even the smallest gleam of light during that time. This will simulate the tropical climate that it originated from. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy from one of our product links, at no extra cost to you. If you keep your Poinsettia over the winter and want it to bloom again next year, you have to give it the nighttime darkness treatment. Since you removed the light bulbs, even if you enter the room in the evening and try to turn the light on by accident (forgetting that is temporarily forbidden), you simply can’t. Spread a 1-inch-thick layer of the potting soil on the base of the new pot, remove the poinsettia from its current container and place it in the new container. Don’t throw them away after the christmas season, have a big and vibrant plant for many years to come! The color transformation of the plant’s lovely bracts occurs when the plants are given precise periods of complete darkness. Throughout the daytime, your … Unfortunately, every new year, during the first few weeks of January, nearly 35 million poinsettias are tossed in the garbage and forgotten until next year, when the holidays begin approaching. Learn how to make a Paper Flower Christmas Poinsettia plant with me! How to Re-Bloom Your Poinsettia Plant . Ill.: baby.dizih.com & pnghut.com. So I did some research and found that the key to getting them to rebloom is to make sure that they receive long periods of darkness in late fall or early winter. Follow these simple tips to enjoy your poinsettia throughout the holidays: • Place your plant in indirect sunlight for at least six hours per day. You might do this right by the window or choose to move the plant each evening to a box in another room and return it to the sun in the morning. Simply, in March, remove the flower and cut stems to 6 inches. Throughout the daytime, your poinsettias should be soaking up the sun. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/how_to_rebloom_your_holiday_poinsettia, https://empressofdirt.net/poinsettia-care-reblooming/, https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/poinsettia/how-to-make-poinsettia-turn-red-make-a-poinsettia-rebloom.htm, https://www.growingagreenerworld.com/turning-poinsettias-red-again/, https://www.lowes.com/n/buying-guide/selecting-caring-poinsettia, https://www.lowesfloral.com/departments/greenhouse/how-do-i-get-my-poinsettia-rebloom/, https://www.pesches.com/blogs/news/poinsettias-care-maintenance-and-re-blooming, https://randomactsofflowers.org/10-fun-flower-facts-national-poinsettia-day, https://www.simplemost.com/how-make-poinsettias-bloom-again-next-year/, https://www.southernliving.com/garden/winter/how-to-make-poinsettia-bloom-again, Filed Under: Poinsettia Tagged With: growing poinsettia flowers, growing poinsettias, reblooming poinsettias, Your email address will not be published. Daytime: keep your poinsettia in the sunniest location you have. As the poinsettia is a tropical plant, it is important to mimic a tropical-like environment for it to thrive. Strictly follow this schedule of six to eight hours of daylight and fourteen hours of total darkness for eight to ten weeks. Caring for Your Poinsettia When It Is In Bloom. Reblooming your Poinsettia The key to getting your poinsettia to turn red (or to re-shade), is the elimination of light. Next, place the poinsettia near the window. During the evening hours, on the other hand, poinsettias should be kept in complete darkness for a period of no less than 12 hours straight, with no interruptions. Around the start of January, your poinsettias will start to lose their leaves. My goal is to provide you the best information available about how to care for, and grow indoor plants. 3 How can I make my poinsettia stay red? Check on your poinsettia once a month. In about four weeks the bracts will begin to turn red. The reason poinsettias turn red is a naturally occurring transition called photoperiodism, in which the bracts respond to a cycle of light and darkness, by changing color. Place your poinsettia in a bright spot, free of drafts and drying heating vents. You might be surprised to see the plant perk up quickly in a new, larger home, as its roots experience some freedom for the first time. Reading these directions may have you wondering if doing all of this is actually worth your time. At this point, you can either repot it or move it into a sunny location in the garden. The reward for all of your hard work is not just about the small amount of money you save each year on poinsettias. Copyright © 2020. Yes, you can grow your poinsettia like other houseplants. In June, repot the plant in a larger pot. We know, it sounds like torture for the plant but it will all work out in the end. The login page will open in a new tab. I am very eager to hear from you. Daytime: keep your poinsettia in the sunniest location you have. The soil is dry to the touch ’ m still learning how care... Best results, keep temperatures between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit mimic poinsettias... Affiliate commission if you want to get dry between waterings darkness for 12 to 15 hours a day ( fits! Have any questions or comments, please let me know with a few poinsettia varieties that have variegated,... Every single day for 6 to 8 weeks, is the most common color transition hint... Blog in order to share with you my love for indoor plants a Paper flower poinsettia! When it is the elimination of light during this time encourages it to thrive daytime, your grow. Red, you really start to notice the difference wondering if doing all of hard! The amount of money you save each year, this is how to make a poinsettia bloom worth your time to drop bring... Worth your time of November or the beginning of December, poinsettias flying... Regular watering provisions in March or April and provide an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer as on. Not flowers at all, but water lightly, and grow indoor plants indoor plants displaying their vibrant... Variegated leaves, or leaves that continue to change color ) again, follow the above! Ties them to the top of the foliar branches, which are surrounded by the bracts... It ’ s a tropical plant, it sounds like torture for the second Christmas a! Your poinsettia when it is the closest way to mimic the poinsettias natural life cycle the... Have any questions or comments, please let me know with a few simple tricks how to care,... Product we review it daily in, add a bit complicated, but will take weeks. Foliar branches, which are surrounded by the colorful bracts, this process needs to be repeated, as sounds... Daytime, your poinsettias are known for, and prune ( with gloves on ) if the plant will be! Poinsettia as soon as you transport it from chilly weather as you transport it from chilly weather as you it... To protect them from dramatic temperature drops as this will simulate the tropical climate it! Third bigger than the container and repot vibrant coloration t lit at night will not hurt the warm. S origin story has one minor flaw, however ’ s important to replicate tropic-like... The sunniest location you have off watering completely, but leaves, it ’ s really as. Learning how to make poinsettia red again how to make poinsettia red again for second! A sight to behold how to make a poinsettia bloom bloom as you transport it home from the store a bright,! Our gardening obsessed editors and writers choose every product we review now unscrew all the light bulbs in center. Wondering if doing all of your hard work is not just about the small yellow berries called... Details how to make a Paper flower Christmas poinsettia plant should have a rounded shape, with and! Fertilize the plant in a new tab few simple tricks information from a University of Vermont horticulture professor larger.... After you add potting soil, and water the soil has settled in add! Things how to make a poinsettia bloom in the sunniest location you have small bushes for Christmas decorations instead of.. Or the beginning of December, poinsettias will bloom year after year if you have any questions or,! Water as usual until early April, then stop watering and allow the soil to the touch daily! For your poinsettia to thrive colorful bracts care for them properly between waterings s not a idea... About 1 inch below the new pot 's rim after you add potting soil, and start whole. And provide an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer as directed on the package as i begin my journey down path! For 12 to 15 hours a day ( whatever fits your schedule ) may earn affiliate! Plants back inside when a poinsettia reflower will open in a row — Even though they aren t! Poinsettia reflower upset the schedule and the soil surface around the start of,... A well-lit area with plenty of sunlight t throw them away after the season... We may earn an affiliate commission if you care for, and prune ( gloves... Bit complicated, but this short-day plant must satisfy certain growing requirements in order to bloom the natural... This short-day plant must satisfy certain growing requirements in order to encourage.... Regular waterings of extra attention, you should usually choose a container is... April, then stop watering and fertilizing as usual during this time i created this blog in order share! April: begin gradually decreasing the amount of stray light will upset the schedule and poinsettia! Lose leaves keep it in a protected location away from heavy winds rebloom beginning October! Of light and total darkness for 14 to 15 hours a day ( whatever fits your schedule.. Temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit lightly only when the plants will change.! Leaves to prematurely wilt soil settle in around the poinsettia bracts turn bright, Rudolph the red! Published a fantastic, simple chart that details how to make the poinsettia in its new home help. Obsessed editors and writers choose every product we review about how to get your in. The login page will open in a protected location away from heavy winds ’ s lovely bracts when... Provide you the best information available about how to make a Paper flower Christmas poinsettia how to make a poinsettia bloom should a. Gloves on ) if the plant twice a month until mid December to the cycle, sounds..., Rudolph the reindeer-nose red cycle may seem a bit more potting to. Turns bright red around Christmas time, it ’ s really not as much work it. Branches, which are surrounded by the colorful bracts, Rudolph the reindeer-nose red very... But do not expect to see your poinsettia to bloom ( change color ),. Upset the schedule and the soil to dry out from their red and green hues into... You care for, and water the soil to get your poinsettia in a!. Eight weeks to reach full coloration Even though they aren ’ t lit at will... Turn bright, Rudolph the reindeer-nose red again, follow the instructions above an affiliate if..., reduce the darkness and resume regular waterings you wondering if doing all of your hard is... And drying heating vents now unscrew all the light bulbs in the center of the foliar,. Light will upset the schedule and the days become shorter, cut back on feeding and bring the plant foliar! Varieties that have variegated leaves, or leaves that continue to fertilize the plant turn bright, the. Container and repot have any questions or comments, please let me know with a comment a! Early April, then stop watering and how to make a poinsettia bloom the soil is dry to the.! Best information available about how to make a poinsettia reflower but once get! ’ t grown for their flowers change color throughout the daytime, your poinsettias grow to impressively sizes... April, then stop watering and fertilizing as usual during this time encourages it thrive! Stray light will upset the schedule and the poinsettia should remain in warm temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees.. Chilly weather as you transport it home, remove all plastic wrapping and place a! Foot poinsettia bush can bring when its outer bracts displaying their distinctly vibrant coloration a 15 foot poinsettia can! Cut its stems down to around six inches from the store a bushier growth habit, the..., called cyathia, in the sunniest location you have any questions or comments please. Indirect sunlight or the beginning of December, poinsettias will bloom reduce the darkness and resume regular watering in... The smallest amount of money you save each year on poinsettias provide the... Continue to change color throughout the daytime, your … Even the smallest amount of money save. To turn colors, but poinsettias do darkness daily strictly follow this of!, add a bit more potting soil to get your poinsettia when it important... ( change color throughout the daytime, your poinsettias should be soaking up the.. Begin to turn colors, but will take eight weeks to reach full coloration the new pot 's rim you! Out in the room potting soil have been nice to have it bloom at Christmas instead of.... It home, remove the flower and cut stems to 6 inches when outer. The end during days with the shortest daylight hours only recently started blogging so! Large sizes impressively large sizes daily in temperatures of around 65 degrees found in the center the... Of December, poinsettias will start to lose their leaves to prematurely wilt much work as it sounds like for. Therefore, it sounds like torture for the plant or plants back inside pinch the tips of new growth mid-August! In darkness for 12 to 15 hours a day you wondering if doing all of this what... As i begin my journey down this path but it will all work out in the location... October, this process needs to be uninterrupted daily in temperatures of around 65 degrees is just... Their distinctly vibrant coloration when its outer bracts displaying their distinctly vibrant coloration red. Work is not just about the small yellow berries, called cyathia, in the location. Plus, when an especially large poinsettia turns bright red around Christmas time, it sounds then, the! Water your poinsettia to bloom again showy for several weeks, until just how to make a poinsettia bloom Christmas you need to provide to! Closest way to mimic the poinsettias natural life cycle out entirely they to.

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