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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2008 23:00:15 GMT
Ok guys ive just bought 2 x 4" pots how do i prolong the life of these colourful plants? what do you do with yours?Do i need to feed them and last but not least can i propogate them from cuttings?
Cheers Steve ;D
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Post by Jasmine on Dec 13, 2008 8:25:27 GMT
This it what it says in this month's Garden Answers:
In the home place them some where warm and light, out of draughts. Never let them stand in water. Give water as they start to dry out. Always give them tepid water - not cold from the tap.
I have tried to keep one from one year to the next but I can't lay my hands on the instructions I was following. I know they need cutting back at some point (they tend to go very leggy during the course of the year if they are indoors all the time. I wasn't successful at getting the coloured bracts to come back - they are very fussy about light levels in the winters following purchase.
How well your poinsettia survives it's first Christmas depends on how well it has been looked after prior to you buying it, if they have been cold at any point in their travels they don't do well.
Sorry - this makes it all sound really difficult but I buy one every year - it's like a challenge (and there are some stunning colours to choose from)!
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Post by Jasmine on Dec 13, 2008 8:32:59 GMT
And there's more!...
Examine the soil daily, and when the surface is dry to the touch, water the soil until it runs freely out the drainage hole in the container. When watering, ensure that enough water is applied so that some will run out the drainage hole. If a saucer is used, discard the water that collects in it. Do not leave the plant standing in water. Overly wet soil lacks sufficient air, which results in root injury. A wilted Poinsettia plant may drop its leaves prematurely, so check the soil frequently. Plants exposed to high light and low humidity require more frequent watering. If wilting does occur, immediately water and 5 minutes later water again.
If you obtain a Poinsettia for your home, place it near a sunny window where it will have the most available sunlight. A window that faces south, east or west is better than one facing north. Do not let any part of the plant touch the cold windowpane because this may injure it.
To keep the plant in bloom, maintain it at a temperature of 10 to 20 degrees C during the daylight hours and, if possible, move it to a cooler place at night. Because root rot disease is more prevalent at temperatures below 10 degrees C, do not put the poinsettia in a room colder than this. Avoid exposing the plant to hot or cold drafts, which may cause premature leaf drop.
Make Your Poinsettia Flower Next Year?
Poinsettias can be re-flowered the following Christmas, but unless a year long schedule of care is observed, the results usually are not good. For such a schedule, continue normal watering of the soil until the first of April, and then allow it to dry gradually. Do not let it get so dry at any time that the stems shrivel. Following the drying period, store the plant in a cool (10°C), airy location on its side or upright.
In mid-May, cut the stems back to about 4 inches above the soil, and either replant in a pot 1 to 2 inches larger in diameter or shake old soil off the roots and re pot in the same container, using a new soil less mix. Many good commercial potting mixes are available. Choose one that is not very finely textured. Using soil from the garden can introduce disease to the plant. Water the soil thoroughly after potting; wait five minutes and water again. Then put the plant near the window that is exposed to the most sunlight. Keep the plant at a temperature of 15 to 25°C, and water when the surface of the soil is dry to the touch. After new growth appears, fertilize every two weeks with a fertiliser at the rate recommended on the label for flowering plants.
In June, leave the plant in the pot, move it outdoors, and place it in a lightly shaded location. Continue watering and fertilizing the plant while it is outdoors. Pinch each stem (remove 1 inch of terminal growth) in early July. Then, in late August, cut or pinch the new stems back, allowing three or four leaves to remain on each shoot. After this second pinch, bring the plant indoors and again place it near a window with a sunny exposure. If the plant is not pinched, it will grow too tall and be unsightly. Keep the plant at a temperature of 10 to 20°C at night and continue watering and fertilizing.
Poinsettias are short-day plants, which means they flower about 10 weeks after the daylight shortens to about 12 hours or less. Therefore, to have the plant in full flower by Christmas, keep it in complete darkness between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. from early October for 8 weeks. During this period, any kind of light exposure between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. will delay flowering. A closet, opaque box or opaque cloth will keep the plant in darkness during those hours. Remember to put the plant near a sunny window in the daytime. Continue fertilizing the plant until mid-December.
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Post by Dr Bill on Dec 13, 2008 9:54:30 GMT
Sounds like more trouble than it's worth to me.
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Post by Jasmine on Dec 13, 2008 10:33:54 GMT
I think that's why I buy a new one every year! But it would be a huge success to get one to flower again!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2008 17:19:20 GMT
Cheers Jasmine it does sound like a lot of work
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Post by Amo on Dec 13, 2008 17:55:26 GMT
Buy 'em, enjoy 'em, bin 'em.  ;D |
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Post by Jasmine on Dec 13, 2008 18:32:13 GMT
I guess you could take cuttings Steve (sorry forgot about that part of the question) but you would still have to go to the bother of getting them to flower again. They do make quite a nice green leaved house plant if they are prevented from going leggy.
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Post by andy on Dec 13, 2008 19:12:59 GMT
They're a swine to keep but can be done. Bear in mind poinsettias are tropical shrubs....ive seen them up to 6 feet high in Barbados, they require light, warmth and humidity.
Once xmas is over....say in febuary, start giving the plant weekly liquid feeds and cut off the top red bracts. Do not over water poinsettias and do not keep them in full sun or draughts. A north facing window sill is ideal.
In April, cut the plant back by half. Continue feeding but watch for overwatering. In May, repot into a pot only 1" bigger eg from a 4" to a 5"....from a 5" to a 6" etc....don't over pot as you will have problems with the roots rotting.
Don't feed now for 2 months. The feed in the new soil will keep it going. daily spraying and keeping the pot on a wet gravel tray will keep the humidity up. Watch for red spider mites and mealy bug in summer.
In July, continue feeding with a weekly liquid feed and keep this going right through until october. Now's the time to reduce the daylength by a few hours a day by chucking it in a cupboard from 5pm until 8am.
It's not the easiest thing to do but it is possible and a bit of fun trying. Just feed well, cut it back and don't over water.
Oh...and watch that white sap when cutting back, it can be an irritant
Good luck and keep us posted
Andy
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2008 19:34:56 GMT
Think i will let somebody else volunteer for this one as i do have a small brain and would forget to take it out of the cupboard ;D any takers ?
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Post by Jasmine on Dec 13, 2008 19:50:43 GMT
I'd put it in the cupboard and find it months later! ;D
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;D