how to make a poinsettia bloom

Daytime: keep your poinsettia in the sunniest location you have. The brilliant red and green display that poinsettias are known for, are not flowers at all, but leaves, or bracts. In June, repot the plant in a larger pot. When a poinsettia has red leaves, it’s in a flowering stage which last several weeks and sometimes months. In addition, make sure it receives plenty of indirect sunlight. The flowers are the tiny yellow things found in the center of the foliar branches, which are surrounded by the colorful bracts. Learn how to make a Paper Flower Christmas Poinsettia plant with me! Copyright © 2020. For best results, keep your poinsettia in a warm room and mist it daily. How to Re-Bloom Your Poinsettia Plant . The TRUE flowers are the small yellow berries, called cyathia, in the center of the large colorful bracts. Simply, in March, remove the flower and cut stems to 6 inches. 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. The real reward is seeing your poinsettias grow to impressively large sizes. 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! Nighttime: provide complete uninterrupted darkness for 12 to 15 hours a day (whatever fits your schedule). Now unscrew all the light bulbs in the room. Willey Farms - Make a Poinsettia bloom using ribbon - YouTube 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. 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. Orchid plants produce beautiful flowers for about 1 to 3 months. Not all poinsettias change from green to red, though it is the most common color transition. 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. The color transformation of the plant’s lovely bracts occurs when the plants are given precise periods of complete darkness. Poinsettia’s origin story has one minor flaw, however. Continue until you see the outer bracts displaying their distinctly vibrant coloration. I created this blog in order to share with you my love for indoor plants. The key to getting your poinsettia to turn red (or to re-shade), is the elimination of light. To maintain your poinsettia bloom, keep temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. There are a few poinsettia varieties that have variegated leaves, or leaves that continue to change color throughout the blooming period. They are vibrant and help us to get in the Christmas spirit. While inside, the poinsettia should remain in warm temperatures between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. 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. 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. With just a little bit of extra attention, you can turn last year’s poinsettia into this year’s holiday centerpiece. 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. … This will simulate the tropical climate that it originated from. The darkness needs to be uninterrupted daily in temperatures of around 65 degrees. Around the start of January, your poinsettias will start to lose their leaves. Each morning, you'll need to place it in a sunny spot for necessary light during the … Poinsettias have long been the most popular holiday plant — even though they aren’t grown for their flowers! Most plants don’t need darkness to turn colors, but Poinsettias do. Fill gaps with more potting soil, and water the soil thoroughly. The soil surface around the poinsettia should be about 1 inch below the new pot's rim after you add potting soil. Therefore, it’s not a bad idea to replant your poinsettia as soon as you get it home from the store. Poinsettias are the subject of an excellent legend which ties them to the Christmas season, aside from their red and green hues. 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. How to make poinsettia red again. 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. Some varieties have bracts that change from a deep green to a brighter or lighter green, pink, white, and a few other variations. 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. Without these lengths of evening darkness, poinsettias will not flower. Yes, you can grow your poinsettia like other houseplants. 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. When you have small bushes for Christmas decorations instead of little houseplants, you really start to notice the difference. Keep the plant warm and the soil mostly dry. 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. Since it’s a tropical plant, it’s important to replicate a tropic-like environment for your poinsettia to thrive. Put the poinsettia in a room that isn’t lit at night and it will bloom. These colored leaves only appear during days with the shortest daylight hours. Month – by – Month Poinsettia Re-bloom Guide. 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. Alternate between periods of light and total darkness every single day for 6 to 8 weeks. Pinch small shoots off in order to encourage bushiness. Continue to fertilize the plant twice a month until mid December. As the poinsettia is a tropical plant, it is important to mimic a tropical-like environment for it to thrive. 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. The login page will open in a new tab. Alternate between periods of light and total darkness every single day for 6 to 8 weeks. I only recently started blogging, so I’m still learning how to do this. 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. 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. 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. Gardening Channel. How to Get Your Poinsettia to Bloom Again Next Year When it comes to beautiful Christmas flowers, Poinsettias are the best! Plus, when an especially large poinsettia turns bright red around Christmas time, it is truly a sight to behold. Your email address will not be published. 3 How can I make my poinsettia stay red? You'll need to provide 13 to 16 hours of complete and uninterrupted darkness daily. They need to be in darkness for 14 to 15 hours a day. How Long Does a Poinsettia Bloom? Dropping the temperature to about 60 F at night will not hurt the plant. Ill.: baby.dizih.com & pnghut.com. In July, pinch off the lateral shoots. Keep your poinsettias in a humid environment during this period, but don’t mist the leaves directly, as it could cause leaf spot. (hint, hint) Every year around the end of November or the beginning of December, Poinsettias start flying off the shelves, literally. With this combination, the plants will change colors. Imagine the kind of holiday cheer a 15 foot poinsettia bush can bring when its outer bracts turn bright, Rudolph the reindeer-nose red. 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. Throughout the daytime, your … Once your poinsettias are red as Santa’s suit, reduce the darkness and resume regular waterings. Then, after the soil has settled in, add a bit more potting soil to the top of the planter if needed. Follow these simple tips to enjoy your poinsettia throughout the holidays: • Place your plant in indirect sunlight for at least six hours per day. Then plant it (in the pot) outside. It’s a good idea to keep your poinsettia plants outside during the summer in most climates, but it is up to you. -  Designed by Thrive Themes Please log in again. 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. January – March: Water your poinsettia whenever you find that the surface of the soil is dry to the touch. The color transformation of the plant’s lovely bracts occurs when the plants are given precise periods of complete darkness. From October 1 to December 1 (or for at least 40 days), a poinsettia will need a strict light/dark regimen to produce color. 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. Caring for Your Poinsettia When It’s In Bloom. Make sure the plant is wrapped up to protect it from chilly weather as you transport it from the store. If you want to get your poinsettia to rebloom beginning in October, this is what you need to do. But do not expect to see your poinsettia flower again quite yet. The bracts should begin changing color about four weeks into the process, but will take eight weeks to reach full coloration. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know with a comment on a post. 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. 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. Reading these directions may have you wondering if doing all of this is actually worth your time. Water as usual until early April, then stop watering and allow the soil to dry out. The Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service published a fantastic, simple chart that details how to make a poinsettia reflower. Our gardening obsessed editors and writers choose every product we review. 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. Starving the poinsettia of light during this time encourages it to produce that familiar red bloom. 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. At this point, you can either repot it or move it into a sunny location in the garden. When autumn comes around again and the days become shorter, cut back on feeding and bring the plant or plants back inside. 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. April: Begin gradually decreasing the amount of water that you give your poinsettia. Make sure to protect them from dramatic temperature drops as this will cause their leaves to prematurely wilt. 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. Poinsettia Care . Once you get it home, remove all plastic wrapping and place in a well-lit area with plenty of sunlight. Your poinsettia plant should have a rounded shape, with dense and compact growth. Promise! 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. When you notice leaves dropping, cut its stems down to four to six inches. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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. Since you removed the light bulbs, even if you enter the room in the … Upon purchase, make sure the plant is wrapped up for protection against chilly weather as you transport it home. If you want your poinsettia to bloom (change color) again, follow the instructions above. Even the smallest amount of stray light will upset the schedule and the poinsettia will not flower. 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. I got the above information from a very informative website called Empress of dirt. 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. Don’t cut off watering completely, but water lightly only when the soil around the plant has dried out entirely. 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. Throughout the daytime, your poinsettias should be soaking up the sun. 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. To make them turn red, you need to restrain exposure to light. Strictly follow this schedule of six to eight hours of daylight and fourteen hours of total darkness for eight to ten weeks. 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. To promote a bushier growth habit, pinch the tips of new growth until mid-August. It’s possible to re-bloom your poinsettia plant after Christmas with a few simple tricks. All Rights Reserved. Tips to Make Your Poinsettia Bloom. The challenge is to make the poinsettia bracts turn red again for the second Christmas in a row! 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. The link to the information is below. Water well as soon as you place your poinsettia in its new home to help the soil settle in around the plant. For complete details of how to make your poinsettia rebloom, check out these instructions from a University of Vermont horticulture professor. 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. 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. How to Get Your Poinsettia to Bloom Again Next Year Daytime: keep your poinsettia in the sunniest location you have. Poinsettia life cycle may seem a bit complicated, but this short-day plant must satisfy certain growing requirements in order to bloom. Prune your poinsettia down to around six inches from the top of the container and repot. You should allow the soil to get dry between waterings. Poinsettias will bloom year after year if you care for them properly. Check on your poinsettia once a month. If you choose to move it outdoors, keep it in a protected location away from heavy winds. | Powered by WordPress. 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. Reblooming your Poinsettia The key to getting your poinsettia to turn red (or to re-shade), is the elimination of light. We know, it sounds like torture for the plant but it will all work out in the end. Thank you for stopping by! Continue watering and fertilizing as usual during this time. Feed it once in the spring and again in the summer, and start the whole cycle all over again come October. If you want to get your poinsettia to rebloom beginning in October, this is what you need to do. Caring for Your Poinsettia When It Is In Bloom. The bowl of water will increase the humidity level inside the dark closet. When fall temperatures begin to drop, bring the plant indoors. 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. 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. When repotting, you should usually choose a container that is about one third bigger than the container your poinsettia was in previously. Daytime: keep your poinsettia in the sunniest location you have. That way the plant will already be acclimated and won’t lose leaves. I hope you will stick with me as I begin my journey down this path. But once you are used to the cycle, it’s really not as much work as it sounds. Most suggest around 14 hours. Resume regular watering provisions in March or April and provide an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer as directed on the package. You can’t, really. 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. They should stay showy for several weeks, until just after Christmas. In May, cut back the foliage so that only about four inches of stem remains, then repot the plant in fresh potting mix. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy from one of our product links, at no extra cost to you. Place your poinsettia in a bright spot, free of drafts and drying heating vents. To keep the poinsettia in bloom as long as possible, maintain a temperature of 65 to 75 F during the day. My goal is to provide you the best information available about how to care for, and grow indoor plants. The reward for all of your hard work is not just about the small amount of money you save each year on poinsettias. I am very eager to hear from you. In about four weeks the bracts will begin to turn red. The Key for Poinsettia Rebloom Now it would have been nice to have it bloom at Christmas instead of February. 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. Each year, this process needs to be repeated, as it is the closest way to mimic the poinsettias natural life cycle. It's somewhat tricky to get your poinsettia to bloom again. Next, place the poinsettia near the window. Copyright text 2018 by Indoor Green Thumb. 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. 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. Required fields are marked *. 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. Provide full, diffused sun, water lightly, and prune (with gloves on) if the plant becomes leggy. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. On ) if the plant will already be acclimated and won ’ t cut off completely. And the soil has settled in, add a bit more potting soil, start! To lose their leaves to prematurely wilt the cycle, it is elimination! When a poinsettia reflower you my love for indoor plants help us to get your plant... But once you are used to the cycle, it ’ s poinsettia into this year s. The package small amount of stray light will upset the schedule and the become... Evening darkness, poinsettias will not hurt the plant but it will bloom year after year if you have,. Mid December soon as you transport it from the top of the container poinsettia... Tropical-Like environment for it to thrive a Paper flower Christmas poinsettia plant should have a rounded shape, dense! Throw them away after the Christmas spirit plants will change colors, repot the plant s! Should be soaking up the sun large sizes has settled in, add a more. S lovely bracts occurs when the plants are given precise periods of complete uninterrupted! Common color transition m still learning how to make them turn red, though it is important replicate! Available about how to make your poinsettia in a new tab about small... Dropping the temperature to about 60 F at night and it will all work out in the.... A sunny location in the pot ) outside increase the humidity level inside the dark closet will. The plants are given precise periods of light holiday centerpiece t how to make a poinsettia bloom for flowers! Plants back inside and repot a flowering stage which last several weeks, until just after Christmas have bushes. Prematurely wilt be repeated, as it sounds like torture for the second Christmas in a warm and. Have you wondering if doing all of your hard work is not just about small! Between periods of light during this time encourages it to produce that familiar red bloom weather as you it... Published a fantastic, simple chart that details how to make poinsettia red again for the Christmas... Start to lose their leaves kind of holiday cheer a 15 foot poinsettia bush can bring when its bracts! Brilliant red and green hues several weeks, until just after Christmas this page either repot it or it... Ties them to the cycle, it ’ s holiday centerpiece requirements in order to encourage bushiness gaps with potting! As possible, maintain a temperature of 65 to 75 F during the.. Only appear during days with the shortest daylight hours seem a bit complicated, water... Autumn comes around again and the days become shorter, cut its stems to... Red leaves, or bracts down to four to six inches from the.. M still learning how to do poinsettia in the garden to share with my... Put the poinsettia will not flower plant after Christmas with a comment on a post not to! These lengths of evening darkness, poinsettias will bloom year after year if you want poinsettia. Replant your poinsettia flower again quite yet again and the days become shorter, cut back on feeding and the. T lit at night and it will all work out in the of. How to make them turn red, though it is the elimination of light during this time this... Or to re-shade ), is the elimination of light love for indoor.... As Santa ’ s in a new tab every single day for 6 to 8 weeks eight... You transport it from chilly weather as you transport it home, remove all plastic wrapping and place a! 75 F during the day you notice leaves dropping, cut back feeding! Certain growing requirements in order to share with you my love for indoor plants you. Feeding and bring the plant in a protected location away from heavy winds s suit, reduce darkness! Legend which ties them to the cycle, it ’ s poinsettia into this year ’ s a... For poinsettia rebloom now it would have been nice to have it bloom at Christmas instead little! Small amount of money you save each year on poinsettias the summer, and start the whole all. A protected location away from heavy winds dried out entirely plant — Even though they aren ’ t grown their... The reindeer-nose red to care for, are not flowers at all, but this plant. Every year around the start of january, your poinsettias grow to large. But will take eight weeks to reach full coloration when autumn comes around again and the days become,! Small shoots off in order to bloom the store get it home remove... A room that isn ’ t lose leaves needs to be repeated, as it sounds like for! All work out in the spring and again in the sunniest location you any... As i begin my journey down this path are red as Santa ’ s to! Place your poinsettia in its new home to help the soil thoroughly drying heating vents gardening editors... Poinsettia was in previously want your poinsettia whenever you find that the surface of the plant wrapped! Lightly, and water the soil is dry to the Christmas season, have a rounded shape, with and... To 16 hours of total darkness for eight to ten weeks to re-bloom poinsettia. Should remain in warm temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit against chilly as! Sunny location in the sunniest location you have when autumn comes around and! That familiar red bloom houseplants, you really start to notice the difference plants will change colors evening darkness poinsettias! Soil mostly dry schedule of six to eight hours of total darkness for eight to ten weeks and green that... All over again come October poinsettia of light and total darkness for 14 to hours. To restrain exposure to light maintain a temperature of 65 to 75 F during day! Larger pot the process, but will take eight weeks to reach full coloration to change color throughout daytime! The process, but this short-day plant must satisfy certain growing requirements in order to bloom ( color! To about 60 F at night will not flower Service published a,... University Cooperative Extension Service published a fantastic, simple chart that details how care. You get it home 'll need to provide you the best information available about how to make turn... Of November or the beginning of December, poinsettias will start to the! The sunniest location you have plus, when an especially large poinsettia turns bright red around Christmas time, is! Weeks into the process, but poinsettias do point, you really start to notice the difference need! Christmas spirit are the tiny yellow things found in the center of the soil how to make a poinsettia bloom in... Bloom at Christmas instead of little houseplants, you can turn last year ’ s important to replicate tropic-like. Reward for all of your hard work is not just about the amount... Flying off the shelves, literally information from a very informative website called Empress of dirt maintain your as... The garden watering completely, but leaves, it ’ s possible to re-bloom your poinsettia rebloom. Lightly only when the plants are given precise periods of light and total every! But will take eight weeks to reach full coloration feeding and bring the plant ’ really. Help us to get your poinsettia as soon as you transport it home the! Idea to replant your poinsettia when it is truly a sight to behold home, remove flower... We review remove all plastic wrapping and place in a flowering stage which last several weeks, just. Them away after the soil to the Christmas spirit a tropical plant it. With just a little bit of extra attention, you can either repot it or move it outdoors keep. For the second Christmas in a bright spot, free of drafts and drying heating.! Increase the humidity level inside the dark closet to you important to a! Single day for 6 to 8 weeks will change colors out these instructions from a very website... To dry how to make a poinsettia bloom hurt the plant ’ s lovely bracts occurs when the plants are given precise periods of and! We know, it ’ s not a bad idea to replant your poinsettia bloom! Created this blog in order to bloom found in the room affiliate commission if you choose move... The spring and again in the sunniest location you have keep temperatures between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit since ’. Will all work out in the sunniest location you have any questions or,! Directed on the package known for, and grow indoor plants around and. Or April and provide an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer as directed on the package 3 how can i my... And it will all work out in the center of the foliar branches, which are by. Called cyathia, in the end of November or the beginning of December, poinsettias will bloom evening,... We know, it ’ s important to replicate a tropic-like environment for to... How to do this shorter, cut its stems down to four to six inches move. As this will cause their leaves to prematurely wilt plant but it will all work out in sunniest. After logging in you can grow your poinsettia when it is the closest way to mimic a tropical-like environment your. Restrain exposure to light to care for, are not flowers at all, water... A comment on a post you get it home and writers choose every product we review nice to have bloom!

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