After Christmas, the poinsettias usually leave the house. But that is not necessary, because with the right care over the summer, poinsettias can bloom more often.
The poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) usually only lines the window sills in the Advent season - after that it goes into the trash. Because what many people don't seem to know: The poinsettia is a perennial spurge plant (Euphorbiaceae). Even in our latitudes, the colorful Christmas messenger can easily live for several years. However, to ensure that it always blooms on time for Christmas, you have to take good care of it in summer. We give tips on care and show you how to get your poinsettia to bloom again.
Caring for the poinsettia in summer
If the colorful poinsettia is to shine again the following winter, it must first be successfully brought through the summer. After flowering, it can initially move out of sight to a slightly cooler and darker location. The water supply can also be reduced. In mid-May, when there is no longer any threat of frost, you can either plant the poinsettia outside or put it outside in a pot. Before this step, it is a good idea to cut back the faded shoots and repot it in fresh substrate and a slightly larger pot.
With the sprouting of new shoots after the pruning, the fertilization should be resumed and the water requirement should also increase from now on. It is optimal to supply the poinsettia with nutrients in many small doses. A complete fertilizer such as our Plantura organic universal fertilizer is ideal for this, which can be administered once or twice a week with the irrigation. The growth of the poinsettia will not remain as nice and compact as with freshly bought specimens from the professional gardener. They use special growth regulators to regulate the length of the shoots and thus ensure a compact shape. However, you can counteract extreme length growth by watering sparingly. The moderate drought stress, which is not harmful to he alth, curbs the growth of the poinsettia. Nevertheless it remainsfine line between useful drought stress and lasting drought damage.
Care for the poinsettia after flowering and in summer:
- Place in a slightly cooler and darker spot after flowering; Reduce watering
- April: Cut back the faded shoots and repot in fresh substrate
- Mid-May: Poinsettia can move outside (pot or bed)
- Regular fertilization (once or twice a week) with a complete fertilizer during the main growing season (May - August)
- TIP: After pruning, the fresh shoots can also be used to propagate the poinsettia by cuttings
How do you make the poinsettia bloom again?
In order to get your poinsettia to bloom again, you need to know the flowering behavior of the spurge family. The formation of the colored bracts and the actual flowers can be specifically controlled via the length of the day. The poinsettia is a so-called short-day plant. From a specific, critical day length of less than twelve hours, the poinsettia switches on the flowering, so to speak. Depending on how short the day is, it will take another eight to twelve weeks until the colored bracts of the poinsettia are fully developed. The shorter the day, the faster the colored bracts form.
In order for the star to show its best side in time for Christmas, the "day" must be made to last longer than twelve hours by the beginning of October. This is achieved by a so-called stray light - for which a normal light bulb is sufficient. From the beginning of October, the plant should only be exposed to light for a maximum of twelve hours a day. Then the poinsettia must be darkened.
If it is on the windowsill, you can put a cardboard box over it, for example. In a greenhouse, things get more complicated: You can attach a black foil here, but it has to be removed every morning and completely reattached every evening. Light shining through even in small areas (e.g. from a street lamp) can disrupt and even prevent the flowering of the poinsettia induced by the "short day". It is easier to just go by the natural length of the day, even then the poinsettia will growbloom. However, even then it must be meticulously protected from stray light.
Bloom Poinsettia (again):
- The poinsettia is a short-day plant with a critical day length of 12 hours
- Day lengths under 12 hours induce flower formation
- Depending on the length of the day, it takes 8 to 12 weeks from the first short day to flowering - the shorter the short day, the faster flowering usually occurs
- In the short-day phase, the poinsettia must be protected from any other disturbing light sources and placed in the dark
It's not just the poinsettia that can decorate your home at Christmas time. We introduce you to a range of Christmas plants that spread the spirit of Advent.