EARLY POINSETTIA CARE
If you are lucky enough to receive a Christmas poinsettia this holiday season, there are a few important steps that you should follow in order to keep your plant looking its best. It is not just water and fertilizer, in fact fertilizer is a big “no, no” during the blooming stage. Fertilizer should be applied during all growing stages of your poinsettia such as after you cut the plant back, after you re-pot it and while it is growing Spring, Summer and Fall. But it is important to stop fertilizing your poinsettia just as soon as it is in full bloom. For most of you that is when you buy one or receive it as a gift.
When you get your poinsettia, often times it will be in a decorative foil as well as covered by a protective, plastic “sleeve”. Both of these items are bad for your poinsettia (and any other plant) as the foil collects and hold excess water drainage after you apply water, and can cause the root system to rot. You should always remove the foil when watering so that you can apply a generous amount of water, then allow the plant to drain in the sink for an hour or so. Once sufficient time has passed, simply place the plant back in the foil, which will protect your furniture and floors from the water. Do not poke holes in the foil because then you will have to get a saucer.
Now about the protective, plastic sleeve…these things are very annoying as so often, the plants that they protect are completely destroyed during the removal of the sleeve. Caution must be taken at the time of removal, especially with fragile, blooming plants such as poinsettias. We keep selecting and growing varieties that are stronger and sturdier than the old varieties, but there still needs to be care taken while taking off that sleeve. Try using a pair of scissors and cut up from the bottom to make the sleeve larger before removing it. Also, try tearing the sleeve along the seams, sometimes that works very well. Either way, be careful!
Watering your poinsettias during the blooming stage is also a very touchy situation. Too much water causes rotting and disease…too little causes yellowing and leaf dropage. It needs to be just right. When you hear, “do not water too much”, what is meant is “do not water too often” because you always need to water thoroughly, just not every day. With poinsettias, I like to see them get a bit dry before a good, thorough watering, and again, no fertilizer.
Poinsettias are not poisonous plants as stated by the American Medical Association Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants. Also the Poisindex Information Service has stated the a 50-pound child would have to eat 500 to 600 leaves (called bracts) to equal testing results, and at those levels, were still not toxic. In 1975 the Government refused to insist that sellers of poinsettias should provide cautionary labels warning of the supposed toxicity as their commissionary board said that while eating a poinsettia, as well as many other plants, could cause varying degrees of discomfort, they are not poisonous.
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