I planted two poinsettias left over from last Christmas in my flower bed..Why won't they yurn red? What did I do wrong?

Question

I don't know what else to provide...The plants are huge but did not turn red! I thought they would after the cold snap...Some of the leaves have brown edges...I fertilized them maybe about a month ago...I water every few days if it hasn't rained...

Answer 1

Poinsettias are tropical plants that turn red according to day length, which in the tropics is close to 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark. You can simulate this by putting your poinsettia in a dark place for 12 hours and in a light place for an equal length of time over the couse of many weeks. I'm not sure how long.  

I too plant my poinsettias in flower gardens in the spring where they provide a nice dark green contrast to flowers, but they don't turn red and what red leaves remain from Christmas eventually fall off. When termperatures turn cool, I just let them die and buy new red poinsettias for the next Christmas. A friend has kept a poinsettia going for a decade or more inside. It is huge and rangey - too big to move into alternating light and dark so it is perpetually green, and I wouldn't call it attractive. it is merely a curiosity.

Answer 2

Poinsettias are a tropical plant grown in Mexico, they need plenty of humidity and 12-14 hoursof dark in the fall and winter, they are not conducive to cold climates and will need to stay indoors and watered and kept at warm room temepretures. keep them in sunlight during the daylight hours and then afternoon shade into the evening.

Comments

I live in Florida so there is plenty of humidity and warmth...

Answer 3

Learned about this trick from my Hawaiian sister.....the 2 months that start with the letter A are "cut back" months. Do this and you should have red bracts by Christmas!

Comments

Thanks, will try that!