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Poinsettias can bloom into spring
Poinsettias are the dependable diva of winter-blooming houseplants.
They're dependable in that modern poinsettia varieties will stay attractive for a long time--sometimes into May--if they're given the proper care. They're divas, however because they're fairly specific about what that care should include, said Ward Upham, horticulturist with Kansas State University Research and Extension.
"Poinsettias are fairly finicky about soil moisture," Upham said. "And, they're somewhat particular about light and temperature."
A sure way to reduce their "pretty" time, for example, is to keep them too wet or dry.
"Poinsettias do not like 'wet feet.' You need to be very careful not to overwater them. At the same time, though, if you let them dry to the point of wilting , the plants will drop leaves," Upham explained. "I recommend checking them every day, just by sticking your finger about an inch into the soil. If it's dry to this depth, the plants want water."
The best process, he said, is to use lukewarm water, apply it until water runs out of the pot's drainage hole, and then discard the drainage water that's in the saucer.
Poinsettias also want a sunny window or the brightest area of their room. Yet, they do NOT want to touch cold windowpanes, because that can cause damage, Upham said.
"Room temperatures above 75 degrees will shorten their bloom life. Temperatures below 60 can cause root rot. Poinsettias really prefer daytime temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees and nighttime temperatures between 60 and 65," the horticulturist said. "Sometimes the only way to keep them happy is to move them away from windows at night or to draw the drapes between them and a nearby window."
With this kind of care and then some careful trimming and repotting next spring, a poinsettia can become an indoor foliage houseplant or a medium-size garden shrub next summer. Then, if kept or moved indoors next September, but exposed only to natural light as the days get shorter and nights get longer, it also will bloom again in time for the following holiday season, Upham said.
K-State's fact sheet on home care for poinsettias is available at every Kansas county's K-State Research and Extension office or at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/hort2/mf521.pdf.
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