Christmas is over and what do we do with those poinsettia? Well, we can throw them away cause they didn't cost much anyway. That way we don't have to babysit them for another year till next Christmas, but hey what's the fun in that. We're gardeners right, and we love a challenge. Ok, Ok, so I do anyway.
Here's what I do: They are ugly and leggy, so cut off the red foilage leaving only the green leaves. Keep them in spot where they get bright light and only water them when the soil is dry to the touch. Chunk that foil wrapper thats on the pot too so that they can drain properly. When it gets warm enough, usually about late April, move them out to shady spot on the patioand cut the stems back to about six inches. When the plants start to put on new growth, move them out to get a little more sunshine and if needed, transplant them into larger pots so that they don't have to be watered as much. I even plant pot and all in the ground to cut down on watering. Fertilize them with a good houseplant fertilizer, I prefer organics, in April, June, and August. I like to prune the longer branches back a little during the growing season to make the plants stockier and more compact. On October the first, I start the darkness, light thing to make them form the red foilage and set blooms for the Christmas season. I do the darkness, light thing by putting them in a dark closet for about fourteen hours and then put them in the light for ten hours. I keep up with this by putting them in the closet when I get home from work and setting them out when I leave for work.
With any luck at all, TA DA, they are much bigger and more beautiful than last year, not to mention, you did it yourself.
Happy Gardening and Keep Diggin' in the Dirt.
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