Poinsettias and Christmas Cactus

       Holiday houseplants, specifically poinsettias and Christmas cactus, make wonderful gifts; but now that the holidays are over what do you do with them and how can you take care of them and can you make them bloom again?

        I received a poinsettia this year and I’m determined to make this holiday houseplant a permanent part of my houseplant collection, but I know going into it that it will be a challenge.  It can be done, but I’ve never been successful at it before.  Maybe this year is the year that I’m up to the challenge.

        Poinsettias are native to tropical Mexico and Central America, which is why they are a big part of Christmas celebrations there.  They are naturally blooming in December, and their popularity has made them a common part of the winter holidays everywhere, and in recent years, plant scientists have developed many varieties and multiple color combinations to entice shoppers to buy these beautiful holiday houseplants.

       

 

This beauty was one I couldn't resist this year.

         If taken care of they will stay colorful for several months, but eventually the color will fade and the general advice is to discard your plant when this happens, but that is not easy for me to do.  So once again I will attempt to get mine to survive and with luck thrive.

        It’s important to note that the colorful leaves of a poinsettia are just that, leaves, but not flowers.  The actual flowers of a poinsettia are small and inconsequential.  They grow at the center of the bracts and give the appearance of the center of a large flower.

         Poinsettias like very bright light, and warm temperatures. It’s common for poinsettias to drop their leaves in low light, which is often the case in our houses.  So if you have large windows and bright natural light in your house, you’ll probably have more luck in keeping this guy happy.

        Average house temperatures are OK, but keep your plant away from drafts and cold windows. Unlike you, this holiday plant can’t put on a sweater, so it will start to turn yellowish and drop leaves if it gets too chilly.

        This holiday houseplant also likes to be kept moist and enjoys higher humidity, which is another obstacle to overcome in dry heated homes.  Putting your plant on a tray of pebbles with a little water in it is helpful, but don’t let your plant actually sit in water. Misting daily is also a good idea and if possible clustering it with other plants will increase humidity too.

         I know someone who has a heated three-season room.  She uses a humidifier in the winter to keep her patio plants happy.  It’s almost like a greenhouse.  I’m not that lucky to have that ideal situation, but I like the challenge of making something grow in spite of not having ideal conditions for it.

         If you’re lucky enough to make it until spring, start watering your poinsettia less often.  (Try every other day or every third or fourth day until it has acclimated to drier conditions.)  Then move it to a cooler location like your basement for about a month or so.

         In April you should cut your plant back to about 4 inches high and repot in a different slightly bigger pot with fresh potting soil.  Bring it back to a full light situation and continue to water when the soil feels dry.  When it starts to send out new shoots, begin to fertilize it with a water-soluble solution about every two weeks.

         When it’s warm enough, move your poinsettia outside to a partially shaded location.  Treat it like any other houseplant that summers outside.  To keep your plant full and bushy, cut it back about an inch a couple of times during the summer, but here is where it starts to get tricky!

          Poinsettias have to have 12 hours of complete darkness for about ten weeks in order to bloom again, and this is where I always run into trouble.  Any light at all will slow down or stop this process all together.

          My aunt used a big box to cover her poinsettia every night, and I know some people put theirs in a dark closet every evening.  You’re probably saying this is ridiculous.  Throw it out and buy a new one.  They’re not that expensive, and will no doubt look far more gorgeous than our home grown versions, but if you’re like me, that’s not the point.  I just want to be able to do it!

          I am going to start my darkness regime in September so that hopefully in late November I’ll have a plant that has set bud.  During the day your plant needs bright light and you should still be fertilizing every couple of weeks.  Once it has you can discontinue the darkness treatment and voila!  You have a blooming poinsettia in time for the holiday season.


        Christmas cactus is another holiday houseplant that can be kept and forced to bloom every year.  I don’t think they are near as difficult as poinsettias to take care of either. In fact, my mother has had a Christmas cactus that is decades old. It hangs in a window and blooms faithfully every year with little or no special treatment.  Years ago it was so enormous, it fell and broke into pieces.  My sister took part of it and my mom repotted the remainder of the plant.  Now my sister’s plant is enormous, and this year it was completely gorgeous and covered with masses of blossoms.

        

       Christmas cactus like warm temperatures and normal dry to the touch watering. They can summer outside, but like the poinsettia they need 12 hours of darkness for several weeks in the fall to set flowers.

      My mother’s plant is so successful because it hangs in a room that isn’t ever used in the evening.  So it gets the dark it needs without much effort on her part.  My sister also has a similar ideal situation.  I also think they can tolerate a little more light than a poinsettia.

      My Christmas cactus always sets bloom, but hardly ever at Christmas.  In fact mine is just budding now.  I know it’s because I don’t have ideal dark conditions for it, but it’s OK.  The fact that it blooms at all for me makes me feel successful.

      So did you receive a holiday houseplant this year?  Are you up to the challenge of making it a part of your houseplant collection?  If so congratulations!  I wish you luck!  Let me know how you do.  I’d love to see your success stories. 

Thanks as always for reading Julie’s Garden Journal.