Poinsetta Question

I have just gotten a beautiful Poinsetta. I want it to survive the Christmas season. Has anyone managed to keep one going and how did you do this? I believe they are more of a succulent? I think someone said they were a type of Euphorbia?

Shell

Reply to
Shell
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I guess from your description you are talking about one of the Euphorbia pulcherrima hybrids with their coloured bracts usually red or white against very dark green leaves. Are you? If so all the plant needs is roomtemps. The coloured bracts are often brought out to order by placing a black plastic bin bag over the plant about 6 weeks before the beautiful bracts are wanted. Feed and water regularly during growth and colour. After flowering allow to dry off and rest. Resume water and feed when new growth restarts.

Reply to
Mike Gilmore

That's Poinsettia.

Euphorbia pulcherrima is a shrub not a succulent.

The plant will survive and grow for years but getting it bloom again is another story.

Reply to
Cereoid-UR12-

There are bezillions of references on the web on how to keep the plants and force them to "rebloom" (has a lot to do with light). Search on:

poinsettia care

However, it's rather a pain. Since lovely nursery-grown plants are available relatively cheaply each holiday season, many believe enjoying premium plants for a short time and then tossing them is the better route. They are a native of southern Mexico -- that is, a tropical plant.

Reply to
Frogleg

Keep in a bright location out of the sun and let the soil dry out a bit between waterings. Getting them to re-color next year is a pain in the you know what unless you can set up a room with lights on a timer. I like big ones as foliage plants.

Reply to
Tom Randy

Thanks for the help. I will try to keep this one alive. I might be able to set up a place where it gets the proper hours of light and dark.

Shell

Reply to
Shell

I've found several good information sites but I did not know they were a southern Mexico native. Thanks for the information

Shell

Reply to
Shell

Yep, that's the plant. Thanks for the help. I think I can pull this off and keep the plant alive. I will have to try out your instructions for reblooming it too.

Shell

Reply to
Shell

just to let you know, Lowes got a good deal this year with ColorPoint their distributing nursery and Poinsettia's are 3 @ $4.96 for six inch pots..........(red only) but they also have pink and cream varigated ones, purple leafed ones, creamy whitish green and a few that were purple with white edges (those went fast). Just thought I'd let you know. And they are a booger to get to rebloom........just remember those "flower's" are really bracts and the actual flowers are the clusters up in the top surrounded by those colorful leaves on top. (think of dogwoods and those petals not being the flowers either but the center of the dogwoods "petals" are the actual flowers too. And Cereoid is right, they're a euphorbia, and according to ColorPoint's educational moment with their vendor's, not poisonious to children and small animals, it would take 500 leaves to make a child sick. I wonder about that..............................I got violently ill when I wiped my hand over my upper lip when I had pulled common spurge and hallucinated and was nauseous for hours afterwards when I absently licked my lips. Oh well. Good luck with your endeavor and let us know if you're successful! madgardener

Reply to
madgardener

I've had mine for 4 yrs.It's the size of a small bush. It goes outside in the summer and I bring it in the first week of Oct. That is when I put it in a closet for the 14hrs. of darkness per day that it needs to bloom again. It's starting to bloom already. This has worked every year. Mine is white. Sue in Mi. (zone 5)

Reply to
SAS567

Neat :) I know just where I can put it. All my closets have louvers on the top half of the door but I have an unused bedroom/junk room that doesn't get much light al all. Should be no trouble to set it in there. How often do you water it when it's living in the closet?

Shell

Reply to
Shell

It's not actually living in the closet. It goes in the closet at 6pm and I bring it back out at 8am. It dries out fairly fast so I usually give it a little water about twice a week. Sue in Mi. (zone 5)

Reply to
SAS567

The tag on mine says grown in Canada so maybe it will be more tollerant of light as well :) Shell

Reply to
Shell

Hi the secret is to not overwater a Pointsettia. water when the soil is slightly dry.

Reply to
Derryl Killan

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