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Newville, PA

I was looking into growing pointsettias, does anyone have any pointers or any info that could help me out?

12/27/2003 10:59:32 PM

to get them to bloom, they need 12 hours of complete darkness a day, for two months straight. (start in september sometime i think). I saved mine from last Christmas, and left it in natural light in a window, and it had small red blooms by christmas; they looked nothing like the huge ones it had when I got it last year.

Actually, the red things aren't actually the petals of a flower. The actual flower is at the center of the red leaves. There's lots more info out on the net about them than I know offhand.

12/28/2003 1:26:45 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

A friend used to produce them commercially. Brig is correct about the bracts. The red petals are leaves. The flowers are very small & yellow.

Chelated Iron was high on his list of consumables. White Flies were always a bother in his greenhouses. He also used growth regulators on a strict schedule to keep the plants from getting too leggy.

You can cut the plants back now. Keep them on the dry side until spring. Then replant in fresh soil. Once active growth resumes outside, push a little harder. Be careful that it doesn't get too big & leggy. This is where the growth regulators come into play for the commercial growers. Bring them inside before frost & keep under lights for a long 16 hour plus day.

For the life of me though, I can't remember when the darkened period must begin. October maybe? Time for a google.

Steve

12/28/2003 8:15:26 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Google is amazing.

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There's a trick to making it bloom in time for Christmas. Poinsettias need long nights to bloom well. Beginning in October, move them into complete darkness for 14 hours each night (a dark closet works well). Return it to bright light for a maximum of 10 hours before returning it to the closet. Repeat this procedure for 10 weeks for colorful bracts by Christmas.
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12/28/2003 8:18:05 AM

Montoursville, PA

Would you mind if I just buy a couple of the beatiful poinsettas from Walmart at $4.95 from Jackson and Perkins?
They are a pain to grow and worse yet to nurse over into another year. Been there and done that. :)

12/28/2003 10:19:16 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Oh Dwaine.....everone has to do it once...LOL....me too....never again!

12/28/2003 2:43:47 PM