Gardening Bytes

Archive for the ‘Poinsettia Care & Rebloom’ Category

After the holidays poinsettias are often thought of as expendable since they take some specific care to rebloom the next year. Poinsettias bloom because of shorter daylight hours. For Christmas bloom, start your poinsettia plant care in late September or early October. You can replicate the plants first bloom by placing the poinsettia in total darkness for a minimum of twelve hours, up to fourteen hours a day. Placing the poinsettia inside a cupboard, dark closet or box is a good way to achieve complete darkness for the plant. The remaining hours the poinsettia should be out in a sunny location indoors during daylight hours, they like bright, indirect sunlight. Misting your plant is a good idea since they like humid conditions. Let the plant’s soil dry out between watering, it should be dry to the touch. Once bloom has occurred, decrease watering until the bracts drop and allow the plant to dry out completely. Storing your poinsettia in a cool place the rest of the year at 50 degrees is preferable until you start the next cycle of bloom.