Friday, January 18, 2008

Should I keep it or........

I have this decision to make every year around now. Keep the poinsetta or let it become compost for the garden in the spring? Here is what I have done in the past. Put them in the basement where they only get watered once a week. This way only the strong survive. If they survive I put them out with all the other house plants for the summer. As long as they grow and look healthy I say to myself "I am going to try and get them to bloom for Christmas". I think this because my mother does this almost every year and has moderate success. Well the summer comes and goes and fall arrives and getting the light set up with a timer to give the poinsettia the correct amount of light is the last thing on my mind. So I let the poinsettia freeze and add it to the compost pile.
So how so you really keep it and have it bloom? Mom brings the poinsettia in the house in September and puts it under a grow light with a timer so it gets 12 hours of light a day. She just keeps it watered and it does ok. The red leaves don't get very big but she enjoys it, so that is all that matters. I have read online at one place the poinsettia needs 12 hours light another says 14 hours. One site said to cut the stems off about the height you want it and let sprout out and the new leaves will turn red.
If anyone has kept the poinsettia over the summer and has had luck with getting it to rebloom feel free to post your secrets. I guess I will see if this one survives and if it does see what next fall brings.

8 comments:

Wurzerl said...

Hi Cliff, thank you for visiting my blog and for commenting on it.You are very tolerant of my mistakes in your language. So I come back soon!
I don' t keep my poinsettas. Every year my winter garden is overcrowded with plants. I think, they are to demanding with the light. So, it' s a risk if the poinsettas rebloom or not.
Have a good Sunday Wurzerl

Dirty Fingernails said...

I don't know. I always give them away to my indoor plant friends. We just have cactus, aloe vera and some begonias I am trying to overwinter.. So away it went to Gum Paste Joel. I too have been in a bit of a garden funk, but snapped out of it a bit today..

Anonymous said...

Hi Cliff,
I don't keep my pointsettias anymore, tried to get them blooming again and it did'nt work.
Lovely green leaves, but no flowers.
This year I bought very nice colorful cyclamen and loved the look of it.
cheers from Canada
Gisela
it is very cold here..

Andrea's Garden said...

Cliff, to tell the truth, I absolutely cannot stand poinsettias and I have warned my sons not to ever buy any for me. Someone dared to give me one last year and since I knew they would not be back for a while, I put it out in the cold right away. I bet you are laughing now about my comment, right? Andrea

Phillip Oliver said...

We received a big beautiful one this year and I reluctantly threw it on the compost pile last week. I never have luck with plants like this that have tricky requirements. I've never tried a poinsettia but I have attempted to save amaryllis on more than one occasion and I'm officially giving up on those as well. Good luck with yours!

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen said...

Can't offer you any advice as I 1) do not like them and 2) chuck them in the bin as soon as I received one as a gift because they are toxic to my cats. :-)

Bob said...

Keep it another month or so and them toss it. Poinsettias generally lose the colour on their bracts in early Spring and they are a lot of work to get back to bloom next Winter. Hope you both are well, Bob

lisa said...

I've managed to get them to survive only...so my method is enjoy then toss. But hey, since your mom has good luck, then why not try? Mine has bloomed longer than ever this year by keeping it wet all the time, though.