About Poinsettia: care, problems, and solutions

Poinsettias: Care and Problem Solving

The poinsettia, a native of Mexico, is the most popular indoor flowering plant in the U.S. even though it is only sold six weeks of the year. The colorful parts of the poinsettia are really modified leaves called bracts. The real flowers are the tiny button like things in the middle of the bracts. Selecting the right poinsettia is the key to having a plant that will stay in color the entire holiday season. Ideally there should be green leaves all the way to the soil line; the plant should be well balanced and not top heavy; the real flowers should barely be open; and there should be no pollen on the bracts. Poinsettias, despite all rumors, are not poisonous, although the milky sap of the plant may cause minor skin irritations. Whether you chose the ever popular red poinsettia or any of the many new colors like white, pink, salmon, yellow, marble, or splashed, this is a wonderful holiday plant that can sit on a table, be trained as a small tree, or be placed in a frame with 20-50 other poinsettias to form a magnificent huge poinsettia Christmas Tree.

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CARE OF POINSETTIAS

Light: Poinsettias last longer and develop more vibrant colors in bright indirect light: .

Water: Poinsettias are members of the euphorbia family so their soil should always be kept on the dry side. Over watering will cause green leaves to fall off, leaving bare ugly stems topped by colorful bracts. Severe under watering in which the plant badly droops, can also cause both green and colored leaves to fall off. Getting water on the leaves makes unsightly white marks that ruin the beautiful appearance of the plant.

Temperature: Temperature is very important for poinsettias. They last longer in cool areas where the temperature is between 65-75 degrees. The leaves are easily damaged by temperatures that are too hot or too cold so keep poinsettias away from door, draughts, windows, fireplaces, heaters, and the tops of appliances that give off heat.

Fertilizer: Never fertilize a poinsettia when it is color.

Turning a Poinettia Red (Again)

Let me start by saying, after Christmas I throw my poinsettias away and buy new ones the next year. However, if you like the challenge of trying to get a poinsettia to turn red (or white or pink) the following year, here are the steps you need to follow.1. After the holiday season, when your poinsettia has started to lose its leaves, cut the plant back to a height of about 4"- 6". Move the poinsettia to a warm location that gets bright indirect light. The plant will develop new green leaves and hopefully become bushy and attractive. The white sap of a poinsettia may irritate your skin, so be careful when cutting back the plant.

2. In late May or June, repot your poinsettia into a container a few inches wider and a few inches deeper than its original pot. Start to pinch back the new growth to encourage a sturdy bushy plant. Fertilize every two weeks beginning in the late spring and continuing through the end of the summer with a basic houseplant food.

3. The large colorful parts of a poinsettia that most people call the flower are the leaf bracts. The real "flowers" are yellow, very small, and appear in the center of these colorful leaf bracts. Flowering and the attractive colors of the leaves are "photo periodically" induced. So starting in October, the plant needs at least 12 hours of total darkness. Without these long nights and short days, the bracts will not turn color nor the flowers develop. It will take between 65-80 days of this kind of lighting for a poinsettia to develop any color.

4. Once the leaves start to show good color, you can move your plant back to its original location and enjoy it for another season.

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Red Poinsettia

Pink Poinsettia

White Poinsettia tree

POINSETTIA FAQ’S

1. I have seen purple and blue poinsettias. Are they real?
Poinsettias come in many colors now, red, white, pink, salmon, marble, red & white mix, speckled, and many more; but not blue & purple. These have been spray painted with floral paint to get the desired color.

2. I am keeping my poinsettia moist all of the time but the green leaves are still curling and dropping off.
You are probably keeping the plant too wet. Allow the soil to dry out before you water it again.

3. My poinsettias are on a very high ledge & seem to dry out quickly. Can I let them sit in water so I don’t have to climb up there so often to water them?
I would either move them to a new location or use a product called Dri Water. Dri Water is a sausage like tube of gel that you cut open and lay on the soil; it slowly provides moisture to the plant for several weeks.

4. There seems to be tiny flies all around my poinsettia. Can I spray it with your green solution?
These little pests are white flies. I don’t recommend spraying anything on the leaves since they are so easily damaged. First get some yellow sticky pest cards and lay them in the plant. This will get some of the flies. Stir up the soil and then spray the green solution just on the soil.

5. I have my poinsettia sitting on a windowsill. Some of the leaves are getting black marks on them.
I’m guessing that those leaves may be touching a cold window. Try moving your poinsettia away from all draughts and heaters.

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