Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

If you bought a poinsettia tree this year and would like it to stay healthy at this time next year, do the following. Just in time for the Christmas season!

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Basic care for Poinsettias

1. 

   Check for pests (most pests will not grow on plants that are in a greenhouse, but they should appear in just 2 weeks indoors). If your plant is infested with pests, it's best to throw it away and buy another plant to keep it to year.

2. 

   
   
   If you still want to keep a particular plant, you can use soapy water to spray several times on the plant and plant soil to kill pests. Mealybugs are often the biggest problem and can be resolved by dabbing in alcohol with a cotton ball. However, this needs to be done before the bedbug has spread to the point that it cannot be eradicated.

3. 

   
   
   Place plants in a cool (not cold) room with a curtain to filter out sunlight, while reducing watering. You need to wait for the plant to dry between watering times or only water a little (over watering is the leading cause of death in winter indoors, when the plant is inactive and not absorbing nutrients normally. such as during the growing season. If you water too much, the plant may get waterlogged, in addition problems such as moss, mold, root rot and leaf yellowing may occur). When the night temperature rises above 10 degrees C, you can take the plant outdoors.

4. 

   
   
   Determine which tree you want to have for Christmas. If your goal is a small, dense tree, the entire tree should be shortened to only about 10 cm above the main branch. If you prefer a larger tree, simply remove the tip of each main branch and continue until about July. If you want to shape the tree, remove all branches except the tallest, straightest main one and don't cut off the tops of the tree, only remove the inner buds for the remainder of the season.

5. 

   Do not place the plant in full sun for the first time. If you place the plant in full sun, the leaves can burn and fall, and even weak plants may die. Place the plant in full shade, then move the plant to a partial shade for 2 weeks, and 2 weeks later in full or partial sunlight for the remainder of the season. This will strengthen the plant and gradually get used to the outside environment.

6. 

   Begin to water your plants regularly. Apply fertilizer every 5 times or every 2 weeks (whichever comes later) using a fertilizer for poinsettias or for indoor plants. If you prefer, you can use a fertilizer for your diluted evergreen tree to help stimulate the plant to grow new leaves (at this stage you only need the plant to grow leaves instead of flowering).

7. 

   When it's time to bring the tree home in the fall, begin the process of changing the top color to red (or pink, or whatever color the tree was in last winter). This can take up to 2 months, sometimes longer, depending on the environmental conditions and the species of your plant.
   • Replace nitrogen fertilizer with indoor fertilizer, or poinsettia fertilizer, and halve the frequency of fertilization.
   • Start the short night / day cycle that is essential for the budding process: 13 hours continuously in the dark, 11 hours in strong sunlight each day. Maintain a nighttime temperature around 15 degrees Celsius. Rotate the pots often for even light. (Note: Plants need complete darkness - street light, even passing traffic lights, should be enough to interrupt bud production.)
   • Stop the morning / evening cycle after about 2 months and place the plant in the window with the most sun in the house. Reduce fertilization, and don't over-water!
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Method 2 of 2: Facilitate blooms

1. 

   Plant the tree outdoors if possible. Depending on the climate in which you live, poinsettias usually do better when planted outdoors, so move them outdoors where there is partial shade in the afternoon. Weather that is too hot and dry can slow plant growth.

2. 

   Do not overestimate the appearance of the tree. Your tree will never look as "store bought", as the tree sold in the store is actually a seedling. If you want store-bought trees, cut the branches from the mother plant (don't worry, the mother tree can still bloom) from the end of April until you bring it inside to stimulate the tree to bloom. . Root-stimulating hormone powder can be used, but poinsettias can usually have good roots in compost (such as garden mulch compost).

3. 

   Focus on calculating the time when the plant will bloom. When you want your poinsettia to bloom to its full potential and how you plan to take care of the flowers after they bloom will determine when to start stimulating the plant to bloom. If you want the flowers to bloom beautifully for Thanksgiving, start this before October 1, and start before Hallowen to have the tree bloom for Christmas. You can choose an earlier time, but you need to maintain a light / dark cycle for the plant to flower throughout the season.

4. 

   Place the plant in a dark room, wall cabinet or cupboard. Choose a location where no light can enter.

5. 

   Use warm white CFL twist lights or warm white fluorescent lights. You need to use a "warm white" light instead of a regular plant light, because besides the time factor, the plant also needs a red light to bloom.
   • You also need to make sure there is adequate light. A 26 W CFL twisted bulb (equivalent to a conventional 100 W bulb) to light two or more trees will not be enough. Use 1 CFL 26 W bulb for each tree, hanging from the tree about 30-50 cm. Make sure you can adjust the height of the bulbs, as the plants will grow very quickly during flowering.
   • High pressure lamps (HPS) are also available. However, you should be careful when using this lamp, as the authorities may misunderstand that you are growing another plant with the same light cycle! High pressure lights are the signals they rely on to keep an eye on illegal crops.

6. 

   Arrange a time. Standard office hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) are appropriate. Don't Disturb the plant when the light is off. Although 14 hours in the dark is considered sufficient, 16 hours is always suitable (with warm white light).

7. 

   Check for signs of about to flower. The first signs that the tree is beginning to flower is that the leaves on the tops turn red when the plant thinks it is autumn. Leave the plant in the light until it blooms.
   • You can leave the plant in the nursery all season and only bring it out on the holiday you want to display.
   • The nursery is also good for the other plants you bought this year, and they will give healthy branches to propagate, so put them all in the nursery.

8. 

   Avoid leaving plants in the light for more than 10 hours a day. This will allow the plant to bloom longer after the season has passed. Take good care of the plant: water properly, prevent pollen and provide plenty of light for the plant during its daytime. With good care, poinsettias can bloom even after Mother's Day!
   • If the plant continues to flower for too long, place the plant under the light for 24 hours so that the plant will go into a period of cessation of growth. Some plants will still have flower buds when you place them outdoors in the summer.
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Advice

• Don't be discouraged if the results are not what you expected; You can do it again next year!
• Beware of pests and aphids.
• Avoid placing plants in drafts (do not leave plants near doors that are constantly open).
• The deer will eat the poinsettia tree, so make sure the deer can't reach it if left outside.

Warning

• Some experts believe that poinsettias are toxic to some animals. To be safe, do not let your pet access the poinsettias.
• Do not let children hold poinsettias.