Red Poinsettia

[sasha011]

Hi,

I Brought a red poinsettia plant last Christmas and have had it all year indoors. It has now grown lots of smaller green leaves and is looking healthy but will it turn red this xmas?

So far it is not looking like it will......

[Panic Button]

No, I believe they have to be in specific conditions of light and warmth to go red.

The growers produce thousands by creating the right conditions. However they are very sensitive plants and I understand start dying as soon as they are removed from there. Even a trip across a cold supermarket car park can shock them into dropping their leaves.

[Hawkwalk]

They need a period of shorter days and longer nights to get them to flower. This needs to happen for a period of time starting in about september so you are too late to do it now. You can still do it though but will just get the red bracts after christmas!!!

Modern varieties grown now are not so sensitive and certainly dont start dying as soon as they leave the grower. They only die if not treated correctly.

[coccinelle]

As from September my father used to cover the plant with a black bin liner so many hours a day and by mid December the leaves turned red so as Hawkwalk says it's a bit too late now for Xmas.

[Mikkanjazza]

Yes, this is an annual problem, isn't it? You buy a poinsettia, and once it's dropped its red leaves (are they leaves?) it continues to grow into a healthy attractive plant, except it's just boring green, but it seems a shame to just dump it. On the other hand, it's such a faff to go throught the procedure needed to get it to go red again, especially when you can get a new one for not much (I've just bought a good-sized one from Morrisons for a couple of quid). Result - I've got one from last year and one from the year before taking up house room but I just haven't the heart to stick them in the bin. What I can't understand is that apparently the plant originated from Mexico - where I wouldn't have thought they have the long dark winter evenings necessary to turn them red?

[Hawkwalk]

they dont need long dark winter evenings they just need a longer spell in the dark than in the light over a 24hr period. Mexico has short days compared to nights for example it may only have daylight for 11hrs and dark for 13hrs which is enough to trigger the plant into producing flowers. That combined with the ideal climate is why this plant grows naturaly there.

[condor66]

a poinsettia from last year in our office is doing really well.. we put it in a dark storeroom from 5pm until 8am the next day!