The Poinsettia Print
Book of Shadows - Gardening
Written by Madame Aradia   
Friday, 09 January 2009 21:38
Poinsettia

Poinsettias are lovely symbols of Christmas. Mexican lore tells of a little boy who was too poor to bring gift, an offering, to the Christ child. So, he pulled some weeds on the road and took them to church. When he entered the church, his humble weeds turned into a beautiful red poinsettia. Because of this story, many call the poinsettia the “Christmas flower” or even “Christmas Star”.

Ancient Aztecs cultivated the poinsettia and considered it a treasured flower. It became a symbol of wealth, prosperity, and purity. After the fall of the empire, Franciscan monks found the flower and brought it back to Europe. They noted the leaves of the poinsettia would turn red during the holiday season and thus it because a symbol of the winter holidays.

Like me, if you love poinsettias for the holiday, but hate throwing them out after the holidays, follow these simple month-by-month steps to keep the poinsettia all year:

January to May- Be sure the poinsettia gets strong light all day and fertilize every two weeks. Keep the plant moist, but remember not to drown it. Poinsettias like to dry a bit between waterings.

April- Prune the poinsettia so it is about 6 to 8 inches tall.

June to September- Repot the poinsettia and move the plant outside. Place the plant where it can receive morning light, but will be sheltered from the hot afternoon sun. Be sure to keep it moist and fertilize every week.

Mid September- Bring the poinsettia indoors and make sure it still gets strong light all day. Continue to fertilize weekly.

October to November- During the short daytime hours, be sure the plant stays warm and in a bright place, but at night, place the poinsettia in a cool dark place....a closet works well. Make sure the plant is getting more dark than light time now. Continue to fertilize weekly.

Mid November- Discontinue the light/dark treatment and put it in bright light.

December- Poinsettias don’t need strong light all the time this month, so put it anywhere you like when you are decorating, and from time to time, put it in strong light.