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Reblooming Poinsettia
OK, so Christmas is over and you have a
few of those ubiquitous red poinsettias
around the house. You just can’t
stand the thought of sending them out in
the cold to the dumpster. And, to top it
off, you’ve heard you can grow them
into small bushes and get them to rebloom
every year. Well, that’s all true
and getting them to bloom next Christmas
starts right now.
You want to grow them in full sunlight.
Remember this is a tropical shrub so full
sunlight is called for. No back rooms or
closets for this plant. You want to feed
it sparingly (once a month) until the red
bracts fade or fall off and new growth
starts. As soon as this new growth
starts, pot the poinsettia into a new pot
one size larger than its current size.
You’ll do that every spring as the
bracts fade away. Use a good quality
potting soil. You will also start feeding
the plant weekly with a balanced plant
food (like 7-7-7). Do not allow the soil
to dry out, poinsettia appreciate regular
waterings – not swampy but not a
desert either.
As soon as all danger of frost has gone
from your garden, put the pot outside for
the summer. Water and feed it well
because it is this summer exposure that
is going to both grow a great plant and
ensure you have winter blooms. In early
September, pinch the ends of the new
growth off. This forces the shrub to bush
out and produce side shoots that will
hopefully turn into red bracts as well.
Bring inside before frost and put in a
room where it only gets natural sunlight.
No artificial light! The decrease in
light levels will kick it into bloom
(artificial light delays the colouring).
Repeat yearly until big shrub status is
obtained.
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