Poinsettias only bloom for one season - that's what many gardeners believe. The poinsettia is a perennial plant that you can make bloom again every year. There is a little trick for this: put the poinsettia in the dark for a while! Then it will bloom for many years.
When and how long do you have to keep a poinsettia dark?
To get a poinsettia to bloom again, keep it dark for at least six to eight weeks. Start in October when you want it to display colorful bracts at Christmas. Use dark rooms or cover the plant for several hours a day.
The poinsettia is a short-day plant
The poinsettia occurs naturally in the equator region. There it grows in tropical deciduous forests. He doesn't get much light there. It is usually less than twelve hours during which enough brightness penetrates the treetops.
In order for a poinsettia to bloom, or more precisely to develop its colorful bracts, the conditions of the region of origin must be simulated.
To do this, the poinsettia is placed dark or darker for several weeks so that it receives a maximum of eleven hours of light per day. Plants you buy in the store have survived this procedure at the nursery.
How long do you have to keep a poinsettia dark?
The dark phase must last at least six weeks, preferably even eight weeks. You can keep the poinsettia completely dark during this time or cover it with cardboard for hours.
Start darkening in October, when the poinsettia is supposed to have colored bracts for Christmas. But you can also make it bloom at a different time if you make it dark earlier.
After the darkening phase, the poinsettia goes to a warm and bright place. However, if possible, avoid excessive sunlight or heated window sills.
Where do you put poinsettias dark?
There are several ways to make the poinsettia dark. There are rooms in the house where no light falls, such as
- Basement rooms without windows
- Storage rooms
- unlit storage rooms
It is important that the light is not temporarily switched on for too long. Don't forget to water the plant regularly.
If you don't have a dark room available, simply cover the poinsettia with an opaque bag or box (€24.00 on Amazon) for several hours a day.
Tip
You can even grow a poinsettia as a bonsai. Although it cannot be shaped into a specific shape, the plant remains very small and compact.
