How can I Reflower a Poinsettia?

Working to reflower a poinsettia takes time and effort, but you may see rewards in its beautiful December blooms. If your New Year’s resolution is to get more than one year out of the plant, you essentially must replicate greenhouse conditions in order to meet with success. If you have a greenhouse, you’re in luck; if not, luck and hard work may help you to reflower a poinsettia. You must provide basic plant care, prune at the right time, control temperature and exposure to light, and fertilize.

You'll need to keep the plant healthy during the holiday season if you plan on reflowering it. If you have allowed your poinsettia to dry out, it is unlikely you will be able to restore it for next year. Therefore, be certain you are watering the plant, and keep it away from direct sources of heat like fireplaces or heating vents.

About two months into the new year, the poinsettia will naturally begin to fade. Keep the plant indoors, but allow it to get some sun by placing it near a window with direct light exposure. This is the first direct step, aside from plant care that will help you reflower a poinsettia.

Mid-April is the time trim if you want to reflower a poinsettia. If this is the first year you have owned the poinsettia, you'll want to prune all stems to approximately 6 inches (15.24 cm) above dirt level. Pruning is essential since it stimulates new growth.

You will be unbelievably fortunate if you reflower a poinsettia that isn’t properly fertilized. Some nurseries recommend fertilizing with nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus every third time you water the plant. Some people can get away with two fertilizations a week. Fertilization should begin in May.

May or June is also a good time to consider repotting the poinsettia. Gently remove the plant from the pot and inspect the roots. If the plant is rootbound, you will notice a high number of roots that seem to constitute most of the bottom of the dirt.

This definitely suggests that you should repot the plant. You may want to use potting soil, and choose a pot at least a couple of inches (5.08 cm) larger. Once you have repotted, the plant should definitely be fertilized every other time you water. If the weather is moderate, you can place the plant outside in a partial shade environment. The temperature at night should be no less than 55 F (12.77 C) at night.

When the dog days of summer approach, you can quickly lose the chance to reflower a poinsettia if the plant is not brought back inside. It does tend to fare well in direct sunlight indoors. The plant will hopefully have started to leaf at this point, and some gardeners recommend a second pruning at this time, leaving about four leaves per stem.

The hard part comes next. From mid-September through late November, the plant should be exposed to direct sunlight during daylight hours. Then, the plant should be moved into complete darkness until about 8am each morning. Even a trace amount of light can ruin the chance to reflower a poinsettia, so this program needs to be followed rigidly.

You should start to see some colored leaves by mid to late November. This is a chance to shout hooray and discontinue the day/night routine. You should now be able to place the poinsettia in direct light and soon see beautiful flowers to reward your hard work.