Master Gardener: Poinsettias can rebloom with proper maintenance
BY LISA KLEIN Ask a Master Gardener
Saturday, January 05, 2013
1/05/13 at 8:34 AM
Q: I received a beautiful poinsettia this year and was wondering if it will rebloom for me next year? B. K., TulsaA:
Most definitely it can be done, but it will require some regularly scheduled maintenance. To give your poinsettia the best chances for next year, you need to begin now by maintaining proper moisture, providing sufficient light and monitoring air temperature.
Poinsettias like bright light, preferably near a sunny window. This should be a space where the temperature stays between 60 and 75 degrees, ideally around 65. This may require moving your plant at night if the area near the window drops below 60 degrees.
You also need to closely monitor the soil moisture. Poinsettias do not like wet feet, but if they are allowed to dry out too much, the plants will drop leaves. To know for sure, stick your finger approximately half an inch into the soil. If it feels dry, it is probably time to water. Allow enough water that it drains from the bottom of the plant, but avoid letting your plant sit in any water.
You will need to keep this up until late March or early April, at which time you can gradually let the plant dry out. Once the temperatures have started to warm, usually by mid-May, you can cut back the stems - leaving several leaves per stem - and repot your plant into a slightly larger pot. You will want to use a well-draining soilless potting mix.
Poinsettias are fine outside during the summer in a partially shaded location. Keep up watering as needed and fertilize them regularly. Your plant will also benefit from pruning or pinching several times during the summer months to keep it bushy and well-shaped. When temperatures start to cool, you will need to bring your plant indoors and reclaim a sunny location.
Poinsettias are considered short-day plants, which means their flowering is dependent upon the shortening of our days. Starting in October, they will require complete darkness between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. if you want them to reflower before Christmas. Regular fertilization should continue until your poinsettia has rebloomed.
OSU has detailed instructions in its fact sheet "Poinsettia Care" at tulsaworld.com/poinsettiacare or in the Master Gardener office at the OSU Extension Center.
If you have a garden-related question for the Master Gardeners to answer in a column, call 918-746-3701.
Original Print Headline: With care, poinsettias can rebloom
Garden tips
Check that gardening tools and equipment are in good repair - sharpen, paint and repair mowers, edgers, sprayers and hand tools.
Pecans will dehydrate, shrivel and develop a rancid taste if not stored properly. Store shelled and unshelled nuts in the refrigerator or, better, the freezer. Nuts can absorb flavors of other products, so they need to be in a sturdy sealed plastic or glass container. They may be stored for up to a year in the freezer, but using them within six months is best.
Control overwintering insects on deciduous trees or shrubs with horticultural oil sprays in dormant concentrations applied when the temperature is above 40 degrees in late fall and winter. Do not use "dormant" oils on evergreens.
Associated Images:
The secret to maintaining a poinsettia plant through the following year is proper moisture, sufficient light and warmth. BILL SEVIER/Courtesy
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