How To Take Poinsettia Care? Tips To Re-Bloom Poinsettia For Beginners

Poinsettia flower remains one of the most famous holiday flowers. Even flashier colors have connected to bold red blooms. Though they are not flowers, they are modified leaves called bracts. The colorful bracts are designed to attract insects to a small yellow flower in the center. So, how to take poinsettia care? In this article, you will learn more about this plant.

The poinsettia flower is native to Central America, where Aztecs used this plant for medicinal and decorative purposes. At present, this plant serves as a beautiful element everywhere, from porches of homes to beautiful churches. In order to keep a cheery and bright appearance, the poinsettia plant must be given proper care.

How To Take Care of Poinsettias

Poinsettia flowers grow best during the winter months, which is why they are the most famous pot plant during the holidays. With good care, this plant can maintain the beauty for much longer than the Christmas season. Since this flower is from the tropics, poinsettia prefers surroundings that simulate the type of environment. So here are some tips on how to take poinsettia care.

Lightning

This plant is from Central America, and it uses a fair amount of sunlight. So we recommend that by placing poinsettias on a well-lit window so that it gets proper sunlight. Also, east-facing windows are great so that this plant can catch the morning’s light and relax in the afternoon’s shade. Also, make sure that no part of the plant touches the windowpane because this might harm the poinsettia.

Watering

You should water the plant whenever you feel the soil is dry or some leaves are fading. Also, let the water drain out from the bottom, and check the poinsettia is not sitting in water. If the area where the plant is kept intends to be dry, then you might find yourself watering this plant daily.

Environment

To maintain this plant bloom keep the room temperature between 65 to 75 degrees F. Also, make sure to protect this plant from climatic temperature drops because this will cause their leaves to fade prematurely. So for the best results, keep the poinsettia flower in a warm room and drizzle it daily. This process will mimic the tropical climate that it originated from.

How To Rebloom Poinsettias After Christmas

Re-blooming this plant is not a simple task. For re-blooming, it requires a greenhouse-like condition with care. Don’t worry if you are unable to get this plant to rebloom for the first time. Though it is a tedious method that needs lots of patience and care. So here are some tips on how to rebloom poinsettia:-

• January – March: Continue to water the poinsettia whenever you see the surface is dry.
  
• April: Begin gradually reducing the amount of water which you give this plant. Allow the soil to dry between watering. But, you should avoid allowing the stem to shrivel up because it is a sign that it is dying. After a week, move the poinsettia to a place with no sunlight for about 13 to 15 hours and keep the poinsettia at 60 degrees F.
  
• May: Re-pot the plant with new soil and make sure to cut the stems about 3 to 4 inches. After that, put the poinsettia near the window and water it well. Ensure that the plant must be kept at a temperature of 60 to 75 degrees F and should be fertilized every two weeks.
  
• June: Now move the poinsettia outside into a partially shaded location. Continue the same fertilizing and watering process as before.
  
• July: Now pinching back each stem about one inch. This process is done with hands and forces the plant to grow new stems and prevent it from growing lanky and too tall.
  
• August: Continue pinching new stems and leaving 3 to 4 leaves on every branch. Now bring the poinsettia back inside by mid-August. Place it in a window with direct sunlight and continue the same process of fertilizing and watering.
  
• October: Now comes the hard part. Starting October first, keep the plant in darkness from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. Put this plant in a closet to avoid light seeping in.  Any sort of exposure to light can slow the blooming process. In the day time, place this plant in a sunny window and continue the regular fertilizing and watering process.
  
• November: Continue the same process as above until the last week of this month. Last week, you will see the flower buds. Once you see the flower buds, you can stop putting the poinsettia in darkness and just keep it in the window.
  
• December: In mid-December, you can stop the fertilizers. If everything is well planned, then this plant should be back in bloom, and you can start caring for it like when you got it the first time.

Also, remember that the poinsettia is a mildly poisonous plant. It is recommended to keep this plant out of a pet’s or child’s reach. Now that you know how to take poinsettia care. This plant works great as centerpieces or as a unique way to combine floral into the holiday decor.

Final Words:

At Christmas decorating with poinsettias always sets the festive mood, and they are nearly low-maintenance houseplants. They are especially fun to pair with other holiday-themed indoor plants such as Christmas cacti and red succulents. Or you can arrange it with berries, baubles, and green. Now you know how to take poinsettias care, you can decorate them for Christmas. 

Moreover, if you are planning to grow an arborvitae, then check the tips to grow an arborvitae. If you find this information useful, drop a comment below this section.