Gardening Tips, Common Problems, Vegetable Gardens, Plants

Most people regard poinsettias as disposable. They are bought or given as gifts around Christmas and expected to dry out and die about a week after New Years…if they last THAT long!

Well I received a white poinsettia for Christmas this year and have confiscated my sister’s white poinsettia – which was going down hill quickly. My goal is to grow both of these poinsettias in pots and have them healthy, happy and ready for next Christmas.

Repotted Poinsettia Plants

The first thing I did was replant them into new pots – they came in those really cheap plastic throw-away pots that were way too small for them. I put about an inch of gardening stones at the very bottom of the new pots. This helps with drainage. Then I added enough potting soil to allow the plants to sit high in the bigger pots. I wanted the roots to be no more than an inch or so from the rim of the new pot.

After carefully removing the plants from the old pots, making sure to retain as much of the original soil as possible, I gently sat them in the new soil and filled in around the sides. You want to keep the original soil around the roots – this will prevent the plant from going into shock.

I felt that the original soil was quite moist, so I did not water them into the new soil as I might normally do. I’ll watch them this week and if the soil seems dry, I’ll water. With poinsettias, you want to let the soil dry out before watering. Since I added the rocks to the bottom of the new pots, I’m not too worried about over watering, but I still have to be wary about it.

I’ve posted some photos of the plants in their new pots. Every few weeks I’ll post new photos and keep you updated on how they are doing.

If you save your poinsettias from year to year, please let me know. I’m open for all the pointers I can get!

Thanks and Happy New Year!

A healthy Poinsettia plant can last for months or even years!

‘Tis the season for Poinsettias! These beautiful plants are synonymous with the Christmas season and if you’re not giving anyone a Poinsettia, chances are, you’ll be receiving one (or more!).

So we’ve put together some information about caring for this lovley plant – pass the info along to anyone you gift with a Poinsettia this year.

Some background and history of the Poinsettia:

• Poinsettias are the most popular flower plant during the Christmas season. They are the largest flowering plant crop in the U.S., with sales of over 63 million pots!
• Native to the warmer southwestern U.S. climates and Mexico, Poinsettias are susceptible to cold and frost. So don’t leave them in your car while you shop – bring them home as soon as you buy them.
• Poinsettias are named for Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first Ambassador to Mexico who brought the plant back to his Greenville, S.C plantation. He grew them and gave them out as gifts.
• Poinsettia Day is December 12th. It was declared in honor of the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett on December 12, 1851.
• Poinsettias are not poisonous as many believe. But eating them could give you a stomach ache.

How to Choose Healthy Poinsettia Plants

• Look for lots of dark green leaves and bright colored flowers. If the leaves or flowers are dry or brown around the edges, choose another plant. Look for flowers that are completely open. Poinsettias are slow to open, but once they bloom, the flowers will remain full and attractive for several weeks.
• If the weather is cold, make sure to wrap up the plant well for the trip from the store to the car. Even short exposure to cold and wind can damage your Poinsettia.

How to Care for Your Poinsettia

• Poinsettias are easy to keep. They retain their blooms long after you have put away the Christmas decorations, possibly lasting until Valentine’s Day. Keep them in a sunny room with an ideal temperature range of 60 – 70 degrees. Don’t put them near drafts, and don’t put them near high heat, like a furnace vent or fireplace.
• Water thoroughly, then let the soil dry between watering. If they begin to dry out, water them and they will bounce right back. If the leaves turn lighter green, give more sunshine.
• During the summer move your plant outdoors to a sunny location or plant it directly into your garden. Give it a good trimming. Use general purpose fertilizer every 2 to 3 weeks.
• Bring the plant indoors before the first frost. Poinsettias cannot survive a frost.

Forcing Poinsettias (to bloom at Christmas time)

Forcing Poinsettias to bloom is a difficult task. Many have tried, but few succeed. But, if you want to try, follow these instructions:

• Any time in late September put the plant in total darkness for 12-14 hours a day. **Any small light can upset the process. During the day, it should get six hours or more of sunlight. Continue this process daily until early November, then bring it out into the room. Now with a little luck, your Poinsettia will be in full bloom during the Christmas holiday. Fingers crossed!

Tip: A black plastic bag works well. Place the plant in the bag and  twist tie it at the top. Each morning, remove the twist tie and lower the bag to the floor.

Got a tip for caring and keeping Poinsettias? Click here to send it to us or feel free to leave it as a comment to this post.

A First and Important Question to Ask: Do you have a Tropical Hibiscus or a Hardy Hibiscus?

Tropical Hibiscus will typically have shiny dark green leaves that are 3-6″, double or single flowers that are red, pink, orange, yellow, salmon, peach, lavender, or white. Tropical hibiscus may also have more than one color in a bloom. Your tropical hibiscus will only tolerate a night or two of light freezes. One hard freeze could kill them. They are native to sunny, warm humid tropical places. You may want to bring them indoors before temperatures drop below 40 degrees. Tropical hibiscus will typically live up to 5 years in a pot.

Hardy perennial Hibiscus will typically have a dull lighter green heart shaped leaves with white, pink or red flowers that can range from a petite 3 or 4 inches to dinner plate size, 8 to 12 inches in diameter with huge 2-4″ in length buds. Hardy hibiscus will need very little care in winter. Their roots are hardy to about zone 5 (click here to learn about hardiness zones) and they will die to the ground each year.

Before you bring your tropical hibiscus inside you will need to cut it back to about 4-5 inches from the main stems. You will need to make clean cuts with a sharp pruning shears. This will help to eliminate the insects and bugs that are on the tips of the branches. Remove all the dead leaves, old flowers that are on you plant or in the pot.

Wash the plant carefully with water making sure to wash the stems and under leaves for any insects and bugs. Let the plant dry thoroughly before bringing inside. You may see some of the leaves turn yellow and fall off once you bring your plant inside, this is normal. Let the soil become dry before watering and don’t let any water sit and collect under the plant in the tray. You may want to mist the leaves daily to help with the low humidity.

Once you bring your tropical hibiscus indoors you will need a bright sunny area or fluorescent lights. Tropical hibiscus will do well with indoor temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees. If your tropical hibiscus is planted in the ground you will need to dig them up and plant them in a pot. But be aware that this may put your hibiscus in shock because they will not generate new roots easily at this time of year and may develop root rot.