Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Basic poinsettia care
• Method 2 of 2: Guaranteed flowering
• Tips
• Warnings

If you want to keep the poinsettia you bought this year until next year, here's what you need to do. Just in time for Christmas!

To step

Method 1 of 2: Basic poinsettia care

1. Inspect the plant for bugs (most plants won't have bugs in a greenhouse, but they will show up after about two weeks in a house). If the plant is infected then it is best to throw it away and buy a new one to keep.
2. If you still want to keep that specific plant, multiple treatments with soapy water on the plant and the potting soil can remove most of the bugs. Mealy bugs are the main problem, which can be removed by touching the bugs with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. However, this should be done before the contamination spreads or becomes too widespread or you may never get rid of it.
3. Place the plant in a cool (but not cold) room with sunlight filtered through curtains and water less. The plant should feel dry between watering and needs only a little water (too much water is the main cause of houseplants dying in winter, the plant is not actively growing and takes up less food than in the growing season, too much water ensures that the plant is constantly in water, which can cause problems such as moss, fungi, rotting and yellowing). When the temperature at night rises above 10 degrees Celsius, the plant can be placed outside.
4. Decide what kind of plant you want next Christmas. If a small, full plant is your goal, then the entire plant should be pruned to a few inches above the main stump. If you want a larger plant, simply pinch off the tops of the main branches and keep repeating this until about July. If your goal is a shrub, remove all branches except the longest, straightest main branch and don't pinch off the top. Only remove the side shoots for the rest of the season.
5. Do not put the plant in full sun in the beginning. That will cause any leftover leaves to burn and fall off, which can kill the weakened plant. Place the plant in full shade, place it in partial shade after two weeks, and another two weeks later in full or partial sun for the remainder of the season. This allows the plant to harden and get used to the new outdoor conditions.
6. Start with regular watering. Give poinsettia or houseplant fertilizer every fifth or two weeks. If you wish, you can also use a diluted evergreen fertilizer to help stimulate leaf growth (at this stage you only want leaves, not flowers).
7. When it's time to put the plant indoors for fall, begin the top leaf discoloration process (red, pink, or whatever color they were last winter). This process can take up to two months, sometimes even longer, depending on the conditions and the plant species you have.
   • Switch from a nitrogen-based fertilizer to an indoor plant or poinsettia fertilizer and cut the frequency in half.
   • Begin the long night / short day routine required to produce buds: 13 hours of continuous darkness and 11 hours of bright sunlight per day. Keep the temperature around 15 degrees at night. Carry the pot regularly for even lighting. (Note: darkness must be complete - light from a street light or the headlights of passing cars is enough to interfere with button formation.)
   • Stop the darkness routine after about two months and place the plant in the sunniest window in the house. Reduce fertilization and don't overwater!

Method 2 of 2: Guaranteed flowering

1. If possible, let the plant grow outside. Depending on your climate, poinsettias can grow better outdoors than indoors. Grow them outdoors where they will have partial shade in the afternoon. If it gets too hot and dry, growth can slow.
2. Be realistic about the appearance of the plant. You will never get the plant the way it was when you bought it in the store, because these are grafts. If you want plants that look like they just came from the store, cut some grafts from your plant between late April and the time you would put the plants indoors (don't worry, the mother plant can also produce flowers). You can use rooting hormone, but poinsettias also root well in regular compost (for example, regular grass compost).
3. Concentrate on the timing of flowering. When you allow the plant to form buds depends on when you want the plant to be in full bloom and how you take care of it after flowering. If the plant needs to be in bloom during Thanksgiving, start on October 1. For Christmas you start around Halloween. You can start earlier, but then you need to keep checking light exposure to keep them blooming throughout the season.
4. Place the plants in a dark room or closet. Choose a place where little or no light enters.
5. Use warm white energy-saving lamps or warm white fluorescent tubes. It is necessary to use warm white light instead of regular grow lights, as the plant needs the red light. This, in combination with timing, will guarantee flowering.
   • Make sure you have enough light. A 26W energy-saving bulb (equivalent to 100W) for two or more plants is not enough. Use one 26 W CFL per plant and place it 30-45 cm above the plant. Make sure you can adjust the height as the plants will grow quickly as they bloom.
   • You can also use HPS lamps. Be careful with HPS lights, the police might think you are trying to grow illegal plants with the same light cycle! HPS light provides certain properties that are used to detect illegal botanists.
6. Set the timer. Set the timer appropriately. A good guideline is to use standard working hours, 9 am-5pm. Disturb the plants not when the lights are off. Although it is said that 14 hours of darkness is sufficient, 16 hours always works (when using warm white light).
7. Check for indications of blooming. The first sign that the plant is about to flower is what is sometimes referred to as rust. The top leaves then turn rusty brown, thinking it is fall. Leave the plant under the lamp until it is fully blooming.
   • You can leave the plant in the artificial greenhouse all season and only take it out if you have visitors or for the holiday it is intended for.
   • The plants you buy this year also benefit from this and are good to graft for next year. So place it in the greenhouse as well.
8. Avoid giving the plant more than 10 hours of light per day. This will keep it blooming long after the season is over. Take good care of it: water it properly, keep it away from whiteflies and give it plenty of light during the day cycle. If the plant receives this care, it can continue to bloom well after Mother's Day !!
   • If the plant continues to bloom for too long, put it under a light for 24 hours, so that it goes dormant. You may notice that some plants still have buds when you put them outside for the summer.

Tips

• Don't get discouraged if things don't go as well as you hoped; you can always try again.
• Always keep an eye out for pests and mealy bugs.
• Keep the plant out of cool drafts (do not place the plant near a door that opens constantly).
• Deer will eat your poinsettia, so if you put it outside, make sure that deer can't reach it.

Warnings

• Some experts believe poinsettias are poisonous to certain animals. For safety, keep pets away from poinsettias.
• Do not let children handle the plants.