UF/IFAS Okeechobee County Extension Service

458 Highway 98 North

Okeechobee, FL 34972-2578

Phone: (863) 763-6469

E- mail: dfculbert@ifas.ufl.edu

January 7, 2004

Feature Article - for release the week of January 11, 2004

Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent

Except for the bills, the holiday is a memory. You’ve put the decorations and lights in boxes, taken the Christmas tree to be mulched for the garden, put the mistletoe in the compost heap, but what to do with that poinsettia?

According to our Master Gardeners, there are folks out there that would like to keep their holiday plant alive in the landscape or would like to force it back into color next winter. Today’s column comes from Extension Horticultural Specialist Bob Black, and will give you some tips on how to make this year’s poinsettia plant into next winter’s Christmas Rose.

Poinsettias can retain their leaves and decorative bracts far into the New Year. Eventually the lower leaves will begin to drop and the bracts will loose their brilliant color. At this point the plant should be placed in a cool dry location. Give the plant only enough water to keep the soil from becoming entirely dry so that the stems won't wither.

Late in February or early in March, after the danger of frost has passed, the poinsettia can be planted outdoors in the Central Florida landscape. It also can be put outside into a larger pot or planter. Poinsettias are very sensitive to cold and may freeze before they have a chance to revive.

For landscape-planted poinsettias, choose a sunny location with a well-drained soil that is protected from cold north winds and frost. Also select an area where plants will not receive any light at night. Poinsettias must have total darkness for flower bud formation. Even a brief exposure to electric lights will prevent or delay flowering until after next year’s holiday season. 

Pinched poinsettia plants (left) will develop into compact plants with many bracts unlike the unpinched plant on the right.

In order to keep plants bushy and compact with lots of flowers, pinch the top one-half inch from new shoots when the new growth reaches a length of four to five inches. The branches that are pinched will develop two or more extra shoots. When these shoots grow to four or five inches, pinch them again. Repeat the pinching process when there are enough shoots to do so. However, do not pinch poinsettias after the first week of September. Pinching after September will delay or prevent flowering at Christmas time.

After the plants have been in the ground about a month, apply one or two tablespoons of a complete landscape or garden fertilizer such as 16-4-8. This can be done at the same time as you fertilize your lawn. Usually, 3 applications per year are recommended - the first when growth starts in the spring, the second in June and the last in late fall after the bracts have set. This last application promotes large bracts with good color and aids in promoting root growth during the winter months. Occasionally, a fourth application will be needed in mid-summer if extremely heavy rains follow the early summer application. Water well each week during dry weather, but don’t overwater your poinsettias in the landscape.

Re-blooming is a tricky proposition for two reasons. In our area of Florida, killing frosts may arrive before plants have a chance to develop their flowers. Secondly, plants require 14 hours of complete darkness each day for 6-8 weeks before flowering. This means starting October 1, plants must stay dark from 5 PM to 7AM, which may be difficult due to outdoor lights which will delay or prevent flowering. If light pollution will be a problem, consider replanting your poinsettia in a larger pot so it can be moved into darkness on a daily basis.

Many of the popular new varieties of poinsettia do well in the landscape. If the tag is still in your potted plant, see if it names the variety. According to UF Floriculture Specialist Rick Schoellhorn, here are poinsettias that can be added to your Florida Yard and that were named in the 2002 consumer preference survey: Monet Twilight, Sonora White, Plum Pudding, Red Velvet, Marblestar, and White Christmas. (The online version of our first weekly column in December had photos of these varieties.)

Do you have questions about Florida Friendly landscaping, or is there something "bugging" your garden? Our first Master Gardener Clinic held by our Okeechobee Master Gardeners was held last Tuesday afternoon.  While the number of calls and visitors was not great, it gave our volunteer a chance to get ready to assist the community.  Master Gardeners will be available to answer your questions every Tuesday afternoon from 1 to 5 PM here at the Okeechobee County Extension office. Come say hello!

A detailed University of Florida circular on poinsettia care gives more details on these suggestions, and can be picked up at our office, or can be downloaded from the internet.  If you need additional information on poinsettias in the landscape, visit our internet site at http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu or stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North. Our phone number is (863) 763-6469, and you can email us at okeechobee@ifas.ufl.edu

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References

Black, Robert J. and Schoellhorn Rick K. "Poinsettias For Florida, Indoors and Outdoors"  Circular 628.   Gainsville: UF/IFAS Extension Service,  January 22, 2002. 

Black, Bob.  "What to do with Last Year's Poinsettias"  Dr. Bob's Gardening Tips  Gainsville: UF/IFAS Extension Service,  December 30, 1997.

Culbert, Daniel F.   "Perfect Poinsettias"  Feature Article. Okeechobee County Extension Service, December  2003.  

Welshans, Jennifer.    "Caring for your Poinsettias"   Home and Garden Column.   Kissimmee: Osceola County Extension Service, December 7, 2003.

Trade names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. Florida Cooperative Extension Service / IFAS /University of Florida. Larry Arrington, Interim Dean.  

Last update: 02/16/2004 .  This page is maintained by Dan Culbert