Reblooming Poinsettias

[Sunny]

Last year, our family received potted poinsettias as gifts from my aunt. I just remembered that it's about time we check on these plants to get them ready for the Christmas holidays. The leaves are mostly green at this point. I want them to turn vibrant red again. We repotted the plants last spring and most of the pots have healthy-looking leaves. Now, what extra measures should I do to ensure that they will grow healthy and red in time for December?

 

[helagumamela]

This is a really interesting and timely question. My mom and I haven't been successful in growing or repotting poinsettias. EVER. How did you manage to make them survive all year?

 

[starshinesis]

My mom once managed to make her poinsettias rebloom. It was a process though. You have to keep them fertilized during the summer. Don't over water. They prefer slightly dry. Now here's the hard part. For October, November and December it has to have 14 hours of absolute darkness every day. Even the slightest ray of light can upset the cycle. When not in total darkness they need bright sunlight for the rest of the time. Good luck.

 

[DancingLady]

My mother tried to do this once but keeping them in darkness proved to be too much of a challenge with our schedules and being busy, it ended up being forgotten and didn't work out. If I lived in a house and had more space I might be willing to give it a try myself, I would suggest you move them to someplace like under the stair storage if you have that or another closet that is rarely used so they won't get disturbed during their dark hours.

 

[starshinesis]

It is quite a process. My mom only did it one year. She was an avid gardener and had lots of houseplants, but the fact that she didn't repeat the process tells me that it was too involved of a process even for her.

 

[Pat]

I have tried to get the plants to rebloom but have not had any success. I think I mess up with the keeping the plants in the darkness part of the process.

 

[SamClemensMT]

Last year, our family received potted poinsettias as gifts from my aunt. I just remembered that it's about time we check on these plants to get them ready for the Christmas holidays. The leaves are mostly green at this point. I want them to turn vibrant red again. We repotted the plants last spring and most of the pots have healthy-looking leaves. Now, what extra measures should I do to ensure that they will grow healthy and red in time for December?

This is news to me. I always assumed they were disposable after the holidays. Funny how you learn so much on this forum. Now, I guess I'll keep this year's poinsettias and see if they can't be sustained all year. That should save me $20.00.

 

[Mockingbird]

I have never had much luck on my own but I knew someone that had a huge Poinsettia for years, it did not turn red anymore but it did stay nice and full. She told me they need a certain degree of cold to turn red. i am under the assumption that poinsettias are grown outdoors in some gardens, i have never seen this in the north are they used in the south as foundational plantings?

 

[SamClemensMT]

I have never had much luck on my own but I knew someone that had a huge Poinsettia for years, it did not turn red anymore but it did stay nice and full. She told me they need a certain degree of cold to turn red. i am under the assumption that poinsettias are grown outdoors in some gardens, i have never seen this in the north are they used in the south as foundational plantings?

Now that makes a lot of sense. I never knew the leaves on a poinsettia could be anything but red. I think a green one would be pretty boring. That's only my opinion.