How to Grow a Poinsettia. Costello Landscaping

Poinsettia Tips

With some patience and commitment, you can make your poinsettia bloom again next winter.

From Extra Dirt  BY: Michelle Leise
Follow our tips and enjoy your poinsettia next holiday season.

After the holidays: Place the poinsettia in a very sunny indoor spot and keep soil barely moist. Fertilize as package recommends.

March: Trim to 6 to 8 inches tall after its leaves fall. Continue to water and fertilize.

May: When poinsettia shows strong new growth, repot and bring outdoors. Give plant six to eight hours of sunlight daily. Protect from harsh afternoon sun. Fertilize weekly.

Mid-July: Trim one-fourth of growing tips to encourage branching. Leave at least 2 to 3 large leaves on each stem. Continue watering and fertilizing.

Early autumn: Bring indoors when nights fall below 60°F.

October 1 to December 15: Place your poinsettia in complete darkness from 5 p.m. until 8 a.m. in temperatures around 65°F. Any light—even for a moment—will ruin your efforts. Place in a sunny location during the day.

Mid-December: After bracts start to color, a long night is not as necessary, but keep giving poinsettia six to eight hours of bright sunlight until completely colored. Then stop fertilizing and place the plant in its holiday location. Your poinsettia may not be quite as lush or bright as those in the nurseries, but it will still be beautiful.

Changes to Lawns and Landscape in CT

A NEW LANDSCAPE:  Due to all the storm/tree damage over this past winter your landscape may have changed from shady to sunny.  On some properties many large trees had to be removed.  So what does that mean for the remaining landscape?   Well, the remaining trees, shrubs and grass in some cases have gone from dense shade to full sunlight.  This could cause some problems over the summer months with sun scorch, drought and heat stress.   

So what can be done now?  Carefully fertilize, mulch and water shrubs.  Re-Plant or add verities of shrubs which are more sun tolerant.   As for the lawn pretty much the same thing.  Adjust pH(if needed), proper fertilizers (after soil testing), watering properly and introduce new grass types which except more sunlight.  Some areas may adapt to the extra sunlight but these extra precautions will help.

Costello Landscaping in Plainville CT

This is always a frustrating time of year.  Do we start to put away our winter equipment and get our equipment for spring clean-up prepared?  Only Mother Nature has the answer to that and she’s not telling….

This week we will be attending a couple of seminars to find out about the latest and greatest and safest products available.