After the last frost, prune your poinsettia by removing the faded red bracts. Its dark-green leaves are scalloped … Tip pruning can be done in January to help promote bushy growth and form. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Prune poinsettias in early spring after blooming has finished and after all danger of frost has occurred. Audio. Related. Pruning poinsettia is not like any other pruning because poinsettia is a Euphorbia (the Latin name is Euphorbia pulcherrima) and has a white sap (also called latex) which oozes from the cut. Is the Coronavirus Crisis Increasing America's Drug Overdoses? If some sap leaks onto the poinsettia plant, wipe it off with a damp rag. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Amid the current public health and economic crises, when the world is shifting dramatically and we are all learning and adapting to changes in daily life, people need wikiHow more than ever. If you have a poinsettia that you want to keep healthy when the holidays are over, you will need to trim it back and regulate water, soil, and temperature conditions. Remove the heaviest canes all the way to the ground. Fertilize the poinsettia plant with a water-soluble, indoor plant fertilizer every two weeks according to manufacturer instructions. Keep extra branches thinned out so that these chosen few can become stronger and support the canopy of growth. If you prune your poinsettia during summer and winter, you can use the cuttings to propagate new plants. Water it when the soil becomes dry. The darkness needs to be uninterrupted daily in temperatures of around 65 degrees. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. May: In mid-May, cut the stems back to about four inches and repot in a slightly larger container, with new potting soil . Step 1. To prune a poinsettia, cut the plant back to 6 to 8 inches above the ground in the spring, then during the summer, pinch off new shoots when they’re about 6 inches long to encourage branching. https://web.extension.illinois.edu/poinsettia/facts.cfm, https://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4112, https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/house-and-home/gardening-advice/a565756/how-to-care-for-poinsettias/, https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=146, https://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/articles/poinsett.htm, https://www.bhg.com/gardening/houseplants/care/how-do-i-care-for-poinsettias/, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Take care when pruning as the milky sap that is released by this plant is poisonous if consumed. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. The poinsettia should be growing rapidly by May. Nip the new growth back after it is 12 inches long, leaving four leaves on each shoot. This can be done once a month until the middle of August. From about September through … Tags. If you get sap on you, quickly rinsing it off with water and soap should be enough to prevent irritation. ), The Secret Science of Solving Crossword Puzzles, Racist Phrases to Remove From Your Mental Lexicon. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Make sure the plant gets enough sun, and water and fertilize regularly. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This poinsettia bush looks great on its own, or in combination with our other wholesale Christmas greenery and flowers. Keep the poinsettia away from pets. Prune this shrub in early spring before they leaf out. Poinsettia plants need light to bloom, but again, not too much. My poinsettia has retained its red leaves from Christmas right through to the end of July. How to Prune Poinsettia Plants. Most plants don’t need darkness to turn colors, but Poinsettias do. Most of the poinsettias sold in the U.S. are cultivated by the Ecke family business located in Encinitas, California. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Leave at least one leaf on each branch. After new growth has reached between 6 to 10 inches, pinch out the tips to encourage branching. Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. Do not fertilize the plant while it’s blooming. Pruning these shrubs any time other than soon after flowering eliminates the following spring’s floral display. If you bought your plant in winter, it is likely to be in a pot wrapped in foil. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
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