Here's what you need to do. To keep the Christmas spirit alive, give your poinsettia a good prune to encourage new growth and get it back into its natural rhythm. Don't trim after September 1. 4 At that time, allow it to dry out a bit in between waterings. You can fertilize poinsettia to improve its health, but never do it when the plant is in full bloom. Fertilize at least once every two weeks. Yes, if you want an attractive poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) with lots of flowers next winter, “hard” pruning this April and shaping until August will help you achieve that goal. The best time to prune the growing poinsettia is late June through early July and again in mid August. No pruning should be done after the first of September. POINSETTIA CARE TIPS. Prune and Propagate New Plants. I thought the plant was nice and now it doesn’t look nice at all. Getty Images | Mario Villafuerte Thank you and just waiting for a reply. Only water Poinsettias when the soil feels dry to the touch and to avoid root rot, do not let the pot stand in water. Once all of the leaves have died back, prune the bushes back to two buds and keep it in a bright location. Do not plant the poinsettia directly in the ground. Place your pruned plant somewhere with indirect light, watch out for too much direct sunlight. Water it when the soil becomes dry. You can also prune the plant again in early September. Instead, fertilize it only after the holiday season or when the external conditions start to be less favorable for them. Sometimes a poinsettia will start wilting once you get it home, and continue to deteriorate, no matter what you do. If you do decide to carry over a poinsettia, understand that the process can vary from region to region. Check on your poinsettia once a month. This will help to keep the plant compact and avoid an unsightly, leggy poinsettia. How to Prune Poinsettia Plants. ADVERTISING Carefully. The best time to prune your Poinsettia is in spring, when it has just finished its resting period. If you've ever seen a leggy poinsettia in bloom, with only a couple of sad looking leaves hanging on, it was probably exposed to temperatures that were too cool or to extreme shifts in temperature. Cut the plants back to 12 or 18 inches from the ground to encourage new growth. 3 weeks before you expect a frost, move your poinsettia back inside the house and give at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. As it approaches the flowering time, you want to stop pruning it and allow it to produce bracts. Pruning is essential since it stimulates new growth. Fall is Time to Bring the Plants Back Inside If you are not planning to keep your poinsettias after the holidays, then you do not have to fertilize. Breeders are bringing us more varieties each year, different color combinations to add even more interest to the Christmas plant. After the last frost, prune your poinsettia by removing the faded red bracts. Mid-April is the time trim if you want to reflower a poinsettia. Ideally, do this in May. Easy care in a warm part shaded position, the Poinsettia is a colourful foliage plant that commonly appearing at Christmas time. Also watering with a tea from coffee grounds, compost, and fish & kelp extract) will keep your poinsettia happy. 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. I bought a pointsettia and the leafs are falling off and I don’t know why. You see, the poinsettia is a short-day plant, that is to say, it only blooms when days are less than 12 hours long. As you prune, aim to leave 3 or 4 leaves on each shoot. When temperatures begin to get cooler, bring the plant inside. Lack of humidity during dry seasons, in particular, winter , is an ongoing houseplant problem. The shoots you prune, can be used to plant new poinsettia plants. If you have a poinsettia plant in your garden, now is the time that you will be enjoying its stunning redness. How to grow; Common problems; Share. How to Keep a Poinsettia Going After Christmas. If it has grown since the last check, trim the stems back down to or to your desired size, leaving 3 or 4 new leaves on the stems. 4 How do you prune a poinsettia? You can prune the plants’ back to ⅓ and then replant them in a bigger pot. Well, because I need to prune my poinsettias and, as you know, they are a symbol of Christmas. Each year cut it back to the same structure to start over with if you want to maintain the 4-5' height. Tip prune back 2-3 inches again to encourage branching. In May, repot the poinsettia into a larger vessel, and place the plant in a sunny window. Use a sharp garden scissors when pruning. There will come a time when the Pointsettia will grow and grow. Please tell me how to take care of my poinsettias so they will turn red again next year. If you’d prefer to hold off on doing the bulk of your pruning, you can wait until around midsummer when the poinsettia has reached its full size. When you are growing poinsettia plants outside, choose a spot with slightly acidic, well-draining soil. This plant should not be fertilised while flowering. This helps create a full plant with lots of flower heads. Pick a spot where it'll receive full sun for most of the day. Cut off any old blooms that are still on the plant in February or March. Prune When mid-summer rolls around, prune the plants back to one-half to one-third and re-pot them in the same or slightly larger pot. How do you take care of poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima)? Poinsettia. Although originally from Mexico, they are happy to grow in Australia as long as they are planted in a warm, protected spot away from strong winds. This creates a bushier plant. Holiday Poinsettia Plant Care When that time comes, you will want to prune the plant. Prune During Mid-Summer. The more often you prune the branch ends the thicker it will grow. Now is the right time to get my poinsettias started for next Christmas, so they can have enough time to grow bushy and beautiful until the colored … Poinsettias grow best in moist, well-drained, fertile soils. Often used as a table decoration or gift at Christmas, Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are a great feature in the garden or as a potted plant as well. Prune the plant in June and July to keep it bushy and compact. If your poinsettia is still alive past New Years Day, it has passed through the shock of being moved from the greenhouse into your home. Using clean pruners or fine snippers, working one stem at a time, cutting each one back to approximately four-inches, just above a leaf node. You said to prune your poinsettia, so do I do this after all the leafs fall off or before? Do take precaution that no such part of the plant touches the cold windowpane which may injure it. If you thought that all Poinsettia plants had red flowers then think again. When the nighttime temperatures reach 55°F you may place your plant outside. Odds are good that it will continue to grow for next year's holiday celebration. Generally, we cut back or prune a poinsettia in late spring when the plant is finishing up its rest period. Be sure it drains well to avoid root rot. This should promote new growth. Water regularly until the poinsettia tree drops its leaves. This could be due to the plant having been stored in cold conditions in the shop before you bought it. At one point, you also have to prune the plant. When spring arrives, prune the flowering stems back 4 to 6 inches. Pinch small growing shoots occasionally during the growing season. Be sure to wear protective gloves when pruning, as the branches can ooze a … Keep out of direct sunlight and water as needed. How to Prune a Poinsettia. Unfortunately, there is little you can do about this. Place the slip (or several slips) in a 6-8-inch pot with clean organic potting soil and put the container in a clear, plastic bag to maintain humidity. It will create a bushier, fuller plant. Do this by dipping the stem in a rooting hormone and then planting this into a pot with soil. Prune poinsettias in early spring after blooming has finished and after all danger of frost has occurred. Your site is also very helpful. To ensure it survives until next year, you will need to prune the poinsettia in April, to about 10cm (4in), and keep it at a temperature of 13°C. Share this article on social media. Poinsettia's might not be the first plant you think of when you're basking in the summer sun in your garden, but this is when your plant has the best chance to … However, with proper care, your holiday poinsettia should continue to put out blooms, or in the least remain attractive for weeks after. Prune often throughout the year to keep the poinsettias at this size. The bigger the pot, the more room the plant has to grow! Cut the branches back to about 4″-5″ but try to leave a few leaves on each branch. A window that faces south, east or west is the best location to place your Poinsettia. But wear gloves when pruning and wash your hands afterwards because, like all members of the Euphorbia family, poinsettias produce a … Leave your poinsettia in it's pot, until you need to tend to it again in early summer. Don’t transplant poinsettia plants outdoors right after Christmas. Its crucial to prune poinsettias to keep them bushy and compact. These finicky short-day plants require specific growing needs in order to retain their Christmas blooms. #5. Let not the soil in the Poinsettia pot dry out. When pruning the poinsettia in August, pinch back the new stems so three to four leaves remain on each stem. Hi Stan, Red Poinsettias. They are available in the deep reds, to bright and pale pinks to whites and are available most of the year. So its flowering starts to be initiated starting about September 22 in the Northern Hemisphere… and usually actually begins to occur about two months later, well in time for Christmas. By removing the stems, you’ll be redirecting more of the plant’s resources into producing new flowers and foliage. When you prune a poinsettia, bear in mind that trimming away a couple of inches from the top of the plant promotes more side branching. You'll need to pinch back your poinsettia several times during the summer. Use a clean, sharp pruner, cut back each stem to approximately four to six inches, just above a leaf node.