November 23rd, 2008 Poinsettia Care
Poinsettias, red in particular, are the most favoured to plant to give and receive at Christmas. How and why this Mexican native became so popular is due to a man named Joel R. Poinsett, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico in 1828. He was the first one to introduce the showy plant which bears his name, to North America. Because poinsettias burst into full colour during the Holiday Season, and its bright red bracts resemblance to the Star of Bethlehem, it’s soared to fame as the plant to represent Christmas. In the century and a half since its first appearance on our continent, it has not lost it popularity.
When plant breeders got a hold of the poinsettia, they introduced white, pink, marbled, mottled, burgundy, and every shade of red imaginable. Not content with just offering us a variety of colours, they began playing with the foliage and we now see curly leafed and variegated leafed plants. If you are not of big fan of red poinsettias, there is now a multitude of colours for you to choose from.
The coloured petals of the poinsettia are not really flowers, but bracts. The flower is actually the tiny yellow centre of the bract.
Poinsettias are very easy to care for. If you don’t have a green thumb or much time to fuss over a plant, then the poinsettia is for you!
- As soon as you get the plant home, remove the protective sleeve. This prevents damaging ethylene from building up.
- If you’ve purchased the poinsettias as gifts, but don’t intend on giving them right away, remove the sleeve until just before you deliver them.
- Place the poinsettia in a bright location, away from cold drafts. They deeply resent cold.
- Poinsettias do not like wet feet! Keep the soil on the dry side, but do not allow the plant to wilt. That just shortens its life.
- When to water? When the pot feels light. If the bracts (leaves) are beginning to wilt, you are not watering soon enough.
- Remove the decorative pot cover before you water.
- When you water, drench the pot, being careful not to splash the foliage.
- Fill the pot to the rim with water and allow the water to drain out the bottom of the pot. I usually water them in the kitchen sink to be sure they
are well drained.
- After ten minutes or so, replace the decorative pot cover and you’re done!
- You should not need to fertilize the poinsettia over the holidays.
When the season is done, toss the poinsettia on the compost pile. If you are up to experimenting, you can attempt to keep the poinsettia over until late spring or early summer. At that point, cut back any weak growth and set it outside for the summer. Bring it indoors in early September, and you’ll be ready to force the poinsettia to show colour for your next Christmas.
