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Poinsettias....now what???

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Contributed by: spencer porteous on 12/28/2007

If you are like the countless number of people that bought or received poinsettias this holiday season, you are probably saying to yourself, "Self, now what do I do with these red leafed plants?" Don't throw them into the compost pile just yet. Add them to your existing landscape and enjoy them for years to come.

This native of Mexico, Euphorbia pulcherrima, is a perennial flowering shrub that can grow eight to ten feet tall in it's natural habitat. I've seen plenty of six footers growing around Indian River County this season. Most of the nicest plants are growing on the east side of houses or in the dappled sunlight underneath oaks or other shade trees. They seem to do best with some moring sun. That hot afternoon sun in the summer from three o'clock on is a bit too much for them.

Now that you have picked out a place in your garden that receives morning sun and will be shadey in the afternoon, here's the trick. Place your poinsettia in the "perfect spot" and DO NOT plant it. Tonight, when it's good and dark,go back out into the garden and find your poinsettia. If you cannot see it, perfect. But if there is a street light shinning on it, lights from you or your neighbor's house or even head lights from a passing car hitting the plant, forget it. Move your poinsettia into complete darkness. You see, it's the uninterupted darkness in the fall that triggers their leaves to turn red.

After you have planted your poinsettias, give'm a good drink. Keep them evenly moist and hit'emwith a bit of palm fertilizer four to six weeks down the road. They like an acid soil like the palms. You won't notice much new growth this winter because the plants are focusing most of their energy towards root production. Come Memorial Day Weekend, get out there and do some prunning, and hit 'em with a bit more palm fertilizer. Basically, cut the poinsettia in half. Remove up to one half of the plant through selective prunning. This will not only help shape the plant, but it will actually help get the plant to "bloom" more next year.Poinsettias push most of their color on the new growth and by prunning, you will promote more new growth and thus, more color.

That's it. It's that simple.

Now you might be saying to yourself, "Self, let's get out there this weekend and do some digging". Trust me, listen to that little voice and come next year, you'll be glad you did.

Have fun diggin'

Spence

Spencer Porteous is a Certified Nursery Professional with fourteen years of experience in the Green Industry and owner of Everything Outdoorsin Vero Beach, Florida.

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