Poinsettias can acclimate in temperate areas

By Audrey Post
MS. GROW-IT-ALL®

Q: How can I keep my beautiful poinsettia healthy and around for next Christmas? Can I plant it outside or must I keep it in a pot?

A: Even though they are tropical plants, poinsettias can take a little cold if they are allowed to acclimate to cooler temperatures gradually. They can’t take prolonged freezes. The good news is that most of North Florida and a good chunk of South Georgia have only sporadic, short-lived freezing weather, as do areas along the Gulf Coast and South Atlantic. If you have an area that is a warmer microclimate than the rest of your yard, perhaps in a flower bed next to a south-facing block wall or near the clothes dryer vent, it can provide additional protection because it won’t get as cold during a freeze as the rest of your yard.

Because blooming is triggered by the shortened days of fall and the reduction in light, make sure you don’t plant it where a porch light or street light will illuminate it at night. Also, there are a few things you should do while your poinsettia is still living in a pot that will help ensure its successful transition to the landscape.

First, keep it in a place where it gets bright, indirect light most of the day, making sure to pour off any water that drains through to the saucer to keep it healthy. Once the flowering bracts have faded, cut the them off. After danger of frost has passed, trim the stems back to about six inches and plant the poinsettia in a sunny location. Sprinkle a tablespoon of Epsom salts around the plant. This will make sure it gets enough magnesium and prevent leaf discoloration. As the plant gets larger, it will need a larger dose, but one tablespoon is fine for initial planting. Repeat the Epsom salt application in June or July. Apply a general formula fertilizer such as 10-10-10 monthly from May to September, as well.

Keep it well-watered until it’s established, then water it weekly if it doesn’t rain. Plan on pruning lightly every month once the danger of frost has passed, or else the plant will get leggy; your plant will develop side shoots that will need to be pruned, too, but don’t prune after September so the flowering bracts can start forming.

The red varieties of poinsettia reportedly adapt better to the yard than other colors. If a freeze is predicted, make sure you protect your poinsettia with plenty of mulch.

A little poinsettia trivia to file away: The plant is native to Mexico and was introduced to the U.S. in the early 19th century by the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Joel Poinsett, for whom the plant is named.

Footnote on camellias, which were the topic of last week’s column: Some camellia sasanqua varieties bloom in late summer and some in fall and early winter, but as a rule, they tend to bloom earlier than camellia japonica varieties.