Growing Poinsettias.
How can I grow my poinsettias so they have red bracks for Christmas?
Poinsettias should be kept in a well lit room away from draughts.If placed on a window ledge,it should be brought into the room in the evening, when the curtains are closed. This prevents it from getting a draught or suffering from ‘damping off’ due to condensation on the windows forming a microclimate between the curtains and windows
The poinsettia should not be placed too near gas central heating if this becomes a problem then it should be placed on a saucer filled with gravel or pea shingle and kept damp to make a humid atmosphere around the plant and it can be spayed with a fine mist of water if the plant is left to go slightly dryer than usual then it can be placed in a sink with about 3 inches of water so that the roots can soak up the water and the whole root ball is evenly soaked if watered from the top then the water may run right through the pot as the pot is full of a mass of roots.
If any leaves get damaged etc then they should be removed straight away to prevent any more disease or damage to the plant,
And the plant should be turned on a daily basis so it doesn’t grow or lean towards the light and become leggy which is important for most house plants.
Once the poinsettia has finished flowering it needs the following treatment to keep it flourishing firstly it needs re-potting in a plant pot one or two sizes bigger so that it can produce new root growth enabling it to take up water and food and the plant needs a light pruning to encourage new growth it can be placed outside during the summer months or in the greenhouse or conservatory from September as the plant is producing bracts it needs to be placed in a dark cupboard for about 8hrs per day for about 4-5 weeks to encourage the bracts to turn red without the dark period the bracts won’t turn red. . For More information on Growing Poinsettias click here
