The Glacier Reporter

POINSETTIA PLANT CAN BE KEPT FOR NEXT CHRISTMAS

The poinsettia, long a most popular Christmas plant, is one of a group of plants known as short day plants because it will bloom only in the season of the year with the shortest day length periods, preferably 10 hours or less. That is why it is always in bloom during the Christmas season and not during the summer.

The so-called blooms are really leafy bracts which color up a brilliant red. The true flowers are the small insignificant yellowish cups found in the center of the whorl of red bracts.

Poinsettias require regular watering—every day if necessary—but not excessive watering. They should be placed where they will get a maximum of daylight and sunshine.

Day temperatures should be about 70-72 degrees and night temperatures should never be allowed to drop below 60 degrees.

Your poinsettia need not be discarded after the holiday season is over. To keep your plant until next year, place it in the basement or some other dry place, where there is no danger of it freezing. Water it very little, if at all, allowing the soil to dry up. Next May bring the plant out, cut the stem back about two-thirds, wash the old soil off the roots and re-pot in new soil. Softwood cuttings taken in July and rooted will give you good Christmas blooms.