If you managed to keep your poinsettia alive since last year you probably have a completely green plant that you hope will once again turn red, or pink, or white. But will it, and when will it happen?
The Red Parts of the Poinsettia Aren’t Flowers
In case you were wondering, the red portions of a poinsettia aren’t its flowers. They’re leaves called bracts. A bract is a modified leaf that has a flower, or a flower cluster, in its axil—the joint between the leaf and the branch. Bracts are sometimes bigger and more brightly colored than the actual flower, which is the case with poinsettias whose flowers are the small yellow blooms in the center of its leaf branches.
Getting Your Poinsettia to Turn Red Again
If you kept last year’s poinsettia and you want its bracts to turn red again at Christmastime, you should limit its sunshine to eight or nine hours a day—ideally starting at the end of September.
This is because poinsettias are “long-night plants,” meaning that they flower when the days are short and they get a reduced amount of sunlight. As a result of the poinsettia forming flowers the bracts will turn red.
During your poinsettia’s 15 to 16 hours of darkness consider placing it in a closet, or other very dark space. Continue to water it as normal.
Watering
Try to keep your poinsettia’s soil moist—not soggy. If the surface of the soil feels dry it’s time to give your plant a drink. Overwatering is a common mistake.
You can inadvertently give your poinsettia too much water by planting it in a container that doesn’t have drainage holes. This can cause the roots to sit in water and they could rot and cause your poinsettia to die. So make sure your plant’s container has drainage holes.
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