Prized for their shining , showy flower bracts , poinsettias - with.html)-with.html)-with.html)-with.html)-with.html)-with.html)-with.html ) ( Euphorbia pulcherrima ) are a common lot in many homes during the holiday season . They are typically treat as one-year houseplants , but are really deciduous tropic shrubs that thrive out of doors within U.S. Department of Agriculture works hardiness zones 9 to 11 . Poinsettias require restrained to high levels of care year - round to assure their health and keep bloom . However , their gay visual aspect make it worthwhile for many gardeners .
Moisture Needs
As a tropical industrial plant , poinsettias are adapted to reproducible levels of filth moisture during the active growing time of year . However , too much wet can chip in to beginning diseases and leaf loss even in good for you plants . water supply deeply but infrequently , let the soil to dry out out on the surface between tearing . When irrigate container - grow plants , add water until it dribble from the drainage kettle of fish at the base . Poinsettias growing outdoors call for a 2- to 3 - column inch layer of mulch around their base from the trunk to the wind of the outer leaf to keep up soil moisture and shield the roots .
Fertilizer Requirements
Poinsettias grow quickly and most take subsidiary nutrients to keep them from look spindly and thin . provender poinsettias semiweekly from outflow until early autumn . Fertilize with general purpose , 15 - 15 - 15 ratio fertilizer during the first half of the growing season to encourage root and foliage growth , then interchange to a bloom fertilizer with an N - phosphorus - K routine of 7 - 9 - 5 in late summertime and early autumn to prepare them for their winter blooming period . Dissolve 1/2 teaspoonful of fertilizer in 1 gallon of piddle and supervene upon one watering every two hebdomad with the answer . Withhold plant food begin in late autumn to allow the plant life a brief dormant stop before bloom , then summarize feeding in springiness after the blossom fade .
Pruning and Grooming
Pruning is key to keep poinsettias front sizeable and attractive . However , it must be time properly to prevent wrong to the plant . Prune poinsettias in spring after the flowers have fade . Cut back the intact plant to roughly 8 inches to promote bushier foliation and fore growth after on . cut back off any unsightly stalk growing or any dead or damaged foliation as it appears until mid- to tardy summer . Stop all pruning in former summer around mid - August because next year ’s peak buds will be forming . Before pruning , soak the shear for at least five minutes in full - potency menage disinfectant cleaner , then rinse them in clean water to remove any pathogens .
Pest Control
Serious insect plague rarely occurs in build poinsettias , although they may from time to time pull minor colonies of whitefly and other pests . Discolored or dropped foliation is the most mutual sign of an infestation , although there may also be visible insect on the undersides of the leave . Treat louse problem with a 2 - percent insecticidal Georgia home boy solution . Dissolve 4 teaspoon of insecticidal soap in 1 quart of piddle inside a spraying bottleful . Saturate the leaves — top and bottom — with the resolution every four Day . wash the leaves with fresh water a few hour after each treatment to preclude damage .
Rejuvenation Tips
painted leaf are short - Clarence Shepard Day Jr. plant , intend they require a foresightful , dark dark during their dormant period to ensure good color production in wintertime . Compelling poinsettias to bloom after their first yr takes effort , but it is potential . However , the leave bracts may not be as spectacular as during their first year . set forth in mid - autumn , put the plants in total darkness for 14 hours each Nox and expose them to extremely bright , diffuse Light Within for six to eight time of day each 24-hour interval . The flowers will begin to appear in eight to 10 weeks . Texas A&M Extension propose that you should ensure that poinsettias kept outdoors should get only rude sun , because added light from yard or street light discourage blossom .
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