Poinsettia Care

It’s that time of the year when you’ll find lovely Poinsettias to brighten the Holidays. A question often arises how do I keep my plant looking nice throughout the Holiday season and on into Spring?

Poinsettias are tropical warm loving plants that like good light. Place it near a sunny window. South, east or west facing windows are preferable to a north facing window. Water the plant whenever the surface feels dry to the touch. Water until it drains out the bottom, but don’t let the plant sit in water. Wilting is another common cause of leaf drop. A wilted plant can be revived and salvaged, but it will take another season to improve its appearance. Fertilizer is not necessary until the days lengthen in February. Keep them from drafty areas such as doorways.

Humidity - Lack of humidity during dry seasons, in particular winter, is an ongoing houseplant problem. If your home tends to be dry and your poinsettia is in direct light, you will find yourself watering frequently, possibly every day.
When you purchase your Poinsettia be sure you keep it warm until you get home with it. Make it your last purchase before going home so it doesn’t sit in an unheated car while you shop.

To Rebloom for the next season:
During winter, continue to follow holiday upkeep tips.
March 17 (St. Patrick's Day): When bracts fade, cut stems back to eight inches above soil line.
Continue to water regularly.

Lightly fertilize with a good, balanced all-purpose fertilizer every three to four weeks.
When temperatures are warm, place plant outdoors; first in indirect, then direct sunlight. Avoid temperatures below 50 degrees throughout the summer.

July 4 (Independence Day): Cut back new growth stems. Repot if needed.
Early September (Labor Day): Move plant inside. Provide six or more hours of direct light.
October 1 through mid-December: Confine plant to complete darkness for 14 hours, giving it 10 hours of natural light daily. This will set the buds and cause bracts to color.

OUR FOLIAGE IS SHOWING

Do you know that you could lift the spirits of everyone in your home and at the same time make your home a healthy place for the family to spend their time this winter? If you’re curious you should try adding color to your home with green foliage and flowering plants.

You’d be surprised how quickly your ‘new guests’ will make the home a different place. NASA the space agency learned that green foliage plants remove certain toxins from the home that may be embedded in your furniture or your rugs, especially if the home or addition has been recently remodeled.
 

These harmful toxins subtly steal away your health and by using green foliage plants at various places in the home you can neutralize the effect of these toxins and brighten everyone’s day. What an easy and safe way to improve the environment.
 

Green is a color that reminds us of spring, nature, health, good luck, youth and vigor. It has the effect of calming and soothing and has great healing powers. It is often worn by surgeons in operating rooms for this reason.

So if you want to make real changes in the atmosphere and the attitude of your family visit a greenhouse which stocks such plants as Golden Pothos, Philodendron, and Spider Plants, all of which are easy care low light and require minimum water, perhaps weekly is adequate.

Plants become friends and like pets, are part of your lifestyle. You really can afford to make your friends green with envy when they see your living, healthy plants and tell them that they work to clean the air as well.

This month is the month when foliage fills the spaces in greenhouses that formerly were filled with Christmas Flowers. The selection is usually the best at this time.

So take advantage of the great buys at local greenhouses that specialize in and even
grow their own foliage plants like the Ashcombe Farm & Greenhouses at Williams Grove near Mechanicsburg. Visit us on the web at www.ashcombe.com