Every winter, people flock to buy poinsettias as part of their holiday decor. This plant, which is native to Central America, is actually the top-selling houseplant in the United States and has a close association with Christmas.
Yet, once the New Year arrives and their brightly-color leaf structures, or bracts, begin to fade, many plant parents throw their poinsettias away.
You might not know that with a few simple care tips and tricks, you can make your poinsettia bloom again. Here’s how.
Poinsettia Care
Before we dive into the reblooming process, it’s important to first understand how to properly care for your poinsettia. It can be grown outside in USDA zones 9 through 11 or inside as a houseplant. And to keep your poinsettia thriving, you’ll need to provide a bit more TLC.
Primarily, when you buy poinsettias at the store, they usually come in pots with decorative foil wrapping. This is a problem, as there aren’t any drainage holes, which can lead to root rot. Remove the foil to avoid this common issue, and re-pot your poinsettia to a different container with proper drainage if necessary.
Then, when it comes to living conditions, indoor poinsettias can flourish at room temperature. If you’re growing this plant outside, though, it has to be shielded from temperatures below 50°F. Colder weather can result in poinsettias dying back, so bring your plant inside when the forecast dips.
As for light and water, poinsettias prefer bright, indirect light, regardless of whether they’re grown inside or outside. Without enough light, they may lose their color early; meanwhile, too much direct sunlight can result in damage.
You should only water poinsettias when the top layer of soil feels dry. Again, make sure your plant never sits in water since that can lead to root rot.
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Help Your Poinsettia Rebloom
Once you have those basics down, poinsettias are pretty straightforward plants to grow.
However, you will need to trick your plant to get it to bloom and turn red again, which can be accomplished by limiting its light. Just keep in mind that this process can only be done once a year.
To get started, keep an eye out for any old bracts. Upon noticing the bracts fading, trim any bare stems back to the leaf node and keep caring for your poinsettia as normal until it sheds around half of its leaves and enters dormancy.
Next, when it’s officially dormant, put your poinsettia in a cool, dark place that won’t freeze. At the same time, reduce your watering frequency.
In the springtime, new growth will begin to appear. At that point, you should increase both light exposure and watering. And when temperatures stay above 50°F, you can move it outdoors.
Throughout the summer, you should water, prune, and fertilize your poinsettia as usual. You can use a liquid, organic fertilizer diluted to half strength during the growing season only.
Later, prior to temperatures dropping below 50°F, you can welcome your poinsettia inside your home again. For about 10 weeks afterward, cover it with a light-proof box each evening. During the day, it can be placed in a window, but make sure it gets 16 hours of total darkness each night to encourage blooming.
Winter’s short days are what give way to poinsettia blooming. So, even a brief exposure to light in the evening may prevent your plant from reblooming.
Nonetheless, if you follow all of these steps, your poinsettia will start to develop color again, and you can stop covering it at night. All that’ll be left to do is enjoy its vibrant hues for a second time!
