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ninecrow_uk

For an Expiriment....

ninecrow
10 years ago

I've Started Light Control on My Red Point, I started it on the 30th of July so I'm Looking forward to Seeing if I can do it This Early.....

Comments (13)

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    10 years ago

    Good luck! Wish I knew what you were talking about....

  • birdsnblooms
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Purple, ROFL

  • ninecrow
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi, I'm Trying to Make My Red Poinsettia Bloom/Colour up Early.....

    Which Means 14 Hours of Darkness a Night for 8 Weeks.....

  • birdsnblooms
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ninecrow..sorry, didn't mean to laugh. But like Purp, I had no idea what you meant. :)
    No offense...Hopefully I can speak for Purple, too, in this case.

    It was the 'Red Point' that threw me off. I guess some plant names cannot be shortened...

    Good luck with your Poinsettia.
    I can do Easter/Thanksgiving Cactus, Kalanchoes, Amaryllis, even Cyclamens, but never could get a Poin to rebloom. Heck, I can't keep a Poin more than a month..

    You said in your first post, you started in July. I had no idea Poins needed 4-5 months of 14-hour darkness..

    Oh wait, scrolled up...sorry. You want your Poin to flower before Christmas. I see. Well, Good luck, Toni

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    10 years ago

    Sorry, I really didn't know what you meant. That sounds worth doing. Hope it goes well! Did you take a 'before' pic? If not, you might wish you did later. How long have you had it?

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You might not remember that ninecrow was the owner of 'Draven' (RIP), very amenable poinsettia that he grew for several years, bringing to full color every winter.

    He always posted before, during, and after images for us. Many of us looked forward to this every year, as proof that "it can be done".

    Toni, he said that he is doing this for 8 weeks, which is what is usually required to flip the internal switch for a pointsettia, not 4-5 months. He's wanting to do it early....in other words, have a flowering poinsettia a few months earlier than usual.

  • birdsnblooms
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hey Rhizo.

    Actually, I rarely read Poinsettia threads, therefore, never saw or heard of Draven...RIP
    Although Poins are beautiful, colorful holidy plants, I kill them..

    It's great Ninecrow had a Poinsettia for years. .

    Rhizo, perhaps you missed the last paragraph on my post. 'above.' Please re-read. Thanks, Toni

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lol....I'm so sorry, Toni. I was skimming the posts.

    More about 'Draven '...its careful caregiver posted for several years, as I said, telling us when it was pruned and when the dark treatments started. I know that I wasn't alone in feeling sort of sad when when we lost Draven.

  • teisa
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My mother in law has a beautiful all green poinsetta. Any advice on making it redden up?

    -Teisa

  • ninecrow
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Guys, I had Draven for 11 Years.... May He RIP....

    Teisa, I hope This'll Help.....

    There seem to be two camps when it comes to what to do with poinsettias after Christmas. One camp's motto is "I'm so glad Christmas has passed; now I can let the poinsettia die." The other camp cheers, "This poinsettia is so pretty I must keep it to flower again." Getting poinsettias to reflower next year is possible, but it takes diligence. So for all of you poinsettia keeper campers, here is the process.

    Winter

    After Christmas, grow the poinsettia as a houseplant. Keep it evenly moist and in fairly bright light.

    Spring

    In February or early March cut back each of the old flowering stems to 4 to 6 inches in height to promote new growth.

    Summer

    In May repot into a slightly larger pot. Water well and place in a sunny window. When all danger of frost has passed and night temperatures are above 60°F, the plant can be placed outdoors in a shady location. Sink the pot in a protected outdoor flowerbed. Some morning sun is ok.

    Periodically turn the poinsettia pot to prevent rooting through the bottom hole and to keep the shape more uniform.

    To have a short plant with many flowers, pinch out the top one-fourth inch of the growing shoots to encourage branching. Do this in three to four week intervals, according to the speed of growth. Two or three large fully expanded leaves should be left below the pinch; this serves as a guide for knowing when the shoots are ready for pinching. Continue this practice until mid- August, when the plant should have a satisfactory shape and number of shoots.

    Keep the plant growing actively all summer by regular watering and fertilizing every two weeks with a complete soluble fertilizer (20-20-20).

    Fall and Winter

    Before night temperatures fall below 55-60°F at night, lift the pot and drench the leaves and soil with water to help remove any pests. Bring the poinsettia indoors to a sunny location. Keep moist but reduce fertilization.

    With poinsettias, as well as Christmas cactus and kalanchoe, flowering is "photoperiodically" induced. This means that flowers begin to form when the days are a certain length, or, more accurately, when the nights are long enough. The poinsettia is a short-day or long-night plant. Without long nights, poinsettias will continue to produce leaves but will not flower.

    Very short periods of lighting at night may be enough to prevent or interfere with flowering. Even light from a streetlight can stop flowering. If the plant is to be grown in a room that is lighted nightly, cover it completely at dusk (5 p.m.) every day with a heavy paper bag, a piece of opaque black cloth, other light-tight cover or place in a dark closet. However they must receive light during the day.

    Flower initiation begins in late September and early October. Dark periods longer than 12 hours are necessary for flower set.

    Because flower initiation depends upon the length of the dark period, your poinsettia must be kept completely dark from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. In order to get them in flower at Christmas, this treatment should be from the end of September until December 15.

    Once you can see the flowers developing and the bracts show color, it is not as important to continue giving the dark period, though it is advisable to continue until the bracts are almost fully expanded.

    Temperatures should be no less than 55°F at night, but not more than 70°F.

    High night temperatures, coupled with low-light intensity, low nutrition, dry soil or improper photoperiod may delay flowering.

    If all this seems like a lot of work, then it's time to change camps and leave poinsettias to the professionals. For more poinsettia info, check out www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/poinsettia

    ***This Info is NOT Mine***

  • garyfla_gw
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi
    I grow them outdoors in my zone .would plant them in the yard but soil is so poor and they get so large lol Last year they had colored by Dec first and were in flower on 25. usually something knocks them over or the get eaten
    while flowering is short the coloring lasts until around Easter. Wife got a gorgeous ivory colored one last year while iit has grown, not nearly as vigorous as the reds have had no disasters this year so I'm hopeful.
    only one of my holiday plants that flowers anywhere near time lol i have groundhog day catus as well as labor day .
    easter lily on independance day
    when I worked in a commercial GH they dropped the temps into the low 40's in a couple of weeks they were all colored up. Good luck with your experiment gary

  • ninecrow
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Guys

    I Have COLOUR!!!
    Well a Hint of it and it's Only on ONE Leaf/Bract..... But it's There....

    You are VERY Lucky Gary.....
    On one hand I'd LOVE to Move to Florida BUT on the Other.....
    I LIKE My Snow too Much.... And as You All Know Snow and Poinsettia DON'T Mix!!!!

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Excellent!
    I've always enjoyed following your progress threads!

    Josh