Gardening Blog

Poinsettias as the Centerpiece for your Christmas Celebration

Christmas celebrations come with decorations of all sorts. Why not put a little bit of life into your Christmas tradition with Poinsettias from 1-800-Flowers? These brightly colored and mysterious flowers can also live on outside of your home, long after the holidays – if you live in a mild climate. They have to be clipped down in the winter, but they soon bloom again in the Spring. They can provide a vital part of your Christmas Flower decorations.

To get a poinsettia to reflower you have to keep it in total darkness between 5pm and 8am. Start this around October first and continue until color shows on the bracts; usually around early to mid-December. Any little exposure to light can prevent flowering. Covering the plant with a light-proof bag and placing it in a closet might work. Night time temperatures above 70-75°F can decay or prevent flowering.

To make your poinsettias last during the holiday season - place the poinsettia in a sunny and bright window. Also, do not let any part of the plant touch cold window panes. An indoor temperature from 60 to 70°F is ideal for long plant life. High temperatures will shorten the life of the colorful bracts. Water only when the soil is dry. Placing your poinsettia in a cool room with a temperature 55 to 60°F at night, will extend blooming time. Do not fertilize while plant is in bloom. Avoid temperature fluctuations and warm or cold drafts.

You can move your poinsettia plant or plants outdoors when all danger of frost has passed. Place it or them in a sunny area but where they will get moderate shade in the afternoon. Fertilize once a month with a water soluble houseplant fertilizer. Be sure to remove foil covering the drainage holes before watering. Water only when the soil is dry. Do not let the poinsettia wilt. Do not let it sit with water in the saucer if you still have it in one. Be sure and empty the saucer if you have the plant sitting in one.

With care your long-lasting poinsettias from 1-800-Flowers give pleasure for many months while they bloom. You can stand there in your home (your lobby would be ideal) and switch the plants around to see how they will look in various locations. You can cluster them around a Christmas tree or place them on the lobby table, underneath window ledges – there are so many places where these decorative holiday plants look good.

Did you know that the flowers or cyathia of the poinsettia are in the center of the colorful bracts? Poinsettias have been called the lobster flower and flame leaf flower. They are not poisonous. A study at Ohio State University showed that a fifty pound child who ate 500 bracts might have a slight tummy ache.
A fresh poinsettia is one on which little or no yellow pollen is showing on the flower clusters in the center of the bracts. Plants that have shed their pollen will soon drop their colorful bracts. Poinsettias represent over 85 percent of the potted plant sales during the holiday season.
Be sure and spend at least a very pleasant half hour looking at the wonderful selection of Christmas Flowers they have at 1-800-Flowers. If you wanted to get additional flowers, or other than poinsettias, they have a huge selection of centerpieces and gift baskets that can serve as both decoration in your home, or as welcome gifts to friends and family members.