One of the main reasons poinsettias are often discarded after just one season is because the houseplant does not develop new colored bracts. A little trick is enough to make the poinsettia red, yellow or purple again.
How do I get my poinsettia red again?
To get a poinsettia red again, provide a 6-8 week dark period (11-12 hours daily) by placing it in a dark room or under a box. The plant then needs a warm, bright, draft-free location.
Poinsettias are short-day plants
Poinsettias are native along the equator line. There they grow in deciduous forests that are heavily shaded and therefore do not get too much light.
The plant has adapted perfectly to the conditions. It only produces the colored bracts when it is dark for a long time. In any case, it has to be less than twelve hours per day.
If it stays light longer, the leaves of the poinsettia stay green. In Germany it is light much longer in summer, so that the plant does not turn red again without artificial darkening, but remains green.
Make the poinsettia dark
A poinsettia that is sold in the supermarket or garden center has been darkened by the gardener. If you want to grow poinsettias for several years, you have to ensure a dark phase. Only then will the poinsettia be red again next season.
People usually want the houseplant to be in all its glory at Christmas time. Basically, you can make the poinsettia blush at any time of the year.
Make sure he gets a maximum of eleven to twelve hours of light per day for six to eight weeks. To do this, place it in a dark, not too cold cellar or storage room. If there is no space available, place a cardboard box (€31.00 on Amazon) or an opaque bag over the plant to simulate darkness.
This is how the poinsettia turns red again
After the darkening phase, place the poinsettia in the desired location. This should ideally
- warm (more than 22 degrees)
- bright and sunny
- protected from drafts
be. In the coming days the poinsettia will develop the desired colored bracts.
Tip
The poinsettia is not considered particularly easy to care for. You need a bit of sensitivity when watering and fertilizing. Here it is worth being stingy with water and fertilizer rather than keeping the plant too moist and nutrient-rich.