How can I keep my poinsetta for next year?

Answer 1

I have poinsettias that are over 7 yrs old. I tried the experts advise and lost them all. Then I just keep them out with the rest of the house plants, watered them weekly. Set them outside during the summer(they are native to Mexican deserts) so the heat does not bother them. I bring them in before frost and they start to bloom in time for Christmas. They are over 5 ft. tall now and everyone comments on them.

Answer 2

I worked in a greenhouse for years as the assistant grower and we grew 500,000 poinsettias from cuttings annually. I hate the darn things but still have one my Mom gave me 7 years ago. Each spring I put it out side on my partially shaded porch and let it grow in the hot Michigan sun. I sunk it in the ground once and it was covered with spider mites the next fall. I have more control over the bug situation on the porch. Make sure that it is water constantly. If it dries out, all the leaves drop off and it's tough to bring them back. Around the end of July I whack off the top leggy half of the plant, making sure I still have some leaves left below. The new foliage comes in bright green and compact for Christmas. Near the end of August I make sure my plant doesn't get any artifical light after sunset. The declining daylight hours are what trigger the colorful leaves to grow. Before the first frost I bring the plant into the house and place it in an open-ended cardbox that faces out towards a southern window. That allows the plant to receive daylight sunlight and be protected from artifical light at night. I push the box right up to the windowpane. And I water, water, water.
Around the middle of Nov. the bracs have set ( berry-like flower) and the colored leaves are half grown out.
It's not as much work as it sounds and the rewards are great. My poinsettia is beautiful every year--except for the spider mite year. My colored leaves are never as big as when I first received it but who cares? If I pruned the stalk to just one major flower per stem it would correct the problem. I prefer the 30+ colored bunches on the plant like this year. The stalks have become very woody and to be quite honest I'm considering trying to train it as a bonsai. But that might be too much work.
I've swapped it out into a slightly bigger pot twice, add fresh soil and feed periodcially.
A poinsetta will take alot of abuse but will die from lack of water. If you ever let it dry out too much, immerse the entire pot in a bucket or sink of water and weight it down so the dry root ball won't float. When bubbles stop rising then your soil is OK. Pour off the excess water and let it drain on it's side with the pot slight elevated.
I've had my poinsetta so long I named it Harold.

Answer 3

To a certain extent it depends on what conditions can be provided for it . Usually requiring full sun, warm temperatures and high humidity. The more these conditions are met the better.
On the one hand because these plants have been given artificial light to extend the normal day length and delay their development and dwarfed with chemicals to make them compact it is generally a waste of time to try saving these plants.
On the other hand to keep in good condition as long as possible place them in a room of moderate temperature where there are no extreme changes and a humid atmosphere as with other plants. Shade from direct winter sun and keep moist.

Answer 4

only shop feeding it on severe nitrogen, then approximately June/July start up feeding it on severe potash, it additionally desires 18 hrs of darkish, so positioned it in a cabinet for the darkish era till you may locate it turning pink. This works each and every time.

Answer 5

You can do this, but it's a real pain in the rear, and it never looks the same. I seriously recommend chucking it and doing something better with your resources.
Try this site from "Sparkle"
http://www.fernlea.com/xmas
click pioninfo

Answer 6

Keep it in a fairly dark spot and only water it maybe once a week. Just remember to water it. I kept forgetting it and mine died.