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D o you buy a poinsettia every year? Did you know that with a little care and proper cultural timing, you can grow it throughout the year and get it to bloom again? Well, you can and it's really not that hard. First let's look at some basic care tips once you have chosen the perfect one. Pro- tect the plant from the elements on its trip from the store to your home. Place the plant in a room with plenty of bright, natural light. Keep out of drafts and away from appliances and refrigerators, and never place it on the television set. Water only when dry at first, being care- ful not to over water. Discard any excess water that runs through the pot s drainage holes. If wrapped in foil, make sure the pot doesn't sit in water inside the decorative wrap. When I talk with someone that had trouble with their plant surviving no more than a month or two, after a few questions, it always ends up being that it was over- watered. A good way to care for and remember when to provide a little extra attention to your poinsettia is by coordinating your care schedule with specific holidays. Here's how: ■ New Year's Day — Fertilize with an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer at half the recommended rate. Continue to provide adequate light and water for prolonged bloom for several weeks. ■ Valentine's Day — Check your plant for signs of insects such as white fly. If your plant has become long and leggy, cut back to about 5 inches tall. ■ St. Patrick's Day — Remove faded and dried parts of the plant. Add more soil, preferably a good organic soil mix. Keep the plant in a very bright interior location. ■ Memorial Day — Trim off 2 to 3 inch- es of branches to promote side branching. Re-pot to a larger container using the same organic growing mix. Usually they will outgrow that pot from last year or become root bound. The new container should only be slightly larger. ■ Father's Day — Move the plant out- side for the summer; place in indirect light. A bright spot out of the sun is perfect! Start fertilizing at full strength now once a week and of course keep an eye on the water. ■ Fourth of July — Trim the plant again. Move it into full sun. Continue to water and fertilize but increase the amount to accelerate growth. You can water more now because it is actively growing, and along with that, will need more food as well. Check daily for water and fertilize about twice a week. ■ Labor Day — Move indoors to a spot that gets at least six hours of direct light daily, preferably more. Check for bugs before bringing inside and treat if needed. As new growth begins, reduce the amount of fertilizer. ■ Autumnal Equinox — Starting on or near Sept. 21, give the plant 13 hours of uninterrupted darkness (put the plant in a closet, basement or under a box) and 11 hours of bright light each day. Maintain night temperatures in the low 60-degree F range. Continue to water and fertilize. Rotate the plant daily to give all sides even light. ■ Thanksgiving — Discontinue the short day-long night treatment. Put the plant in a sunny area that gets at least six hours of direct light. Reduce water and fer- tilize at half strength again once a week. ■ Christmas — Enjoy your new poinset- tia and start the whole cycle all over again. It really isn't that complicated when you break it down this way. Every year your poinsettia will get bigger and offer even more blooms. There's nothing like growing a plant through its whole growth cycle and being successful. You don't have to be a plant geek to try this, although it helps. Happy gardening! (Michael Timm is chief horticulturalist at Ebert's Greenhouse Village.) DECEMBER 2021 HOME 5 MICHAEL TIMM Poinsettias aren't just for Christmas Keep it year-round with a few easy cultivating steps Michael Timm Enjoy a favorite poinsettia with a few easy steps during the year. Michael Timm Taking care of the same poinsettia, or adding more over time, can be a rewarding experi- ence seeing a Christmas favorite mature through its growth cycle.

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