Reblooming Poinsettia
Instead of discarding your poinsettia after Christmas, take on the challenge of re-blooming it for the next year.
Here’s what you need to do.
Maintain and water the plant indoors until March to May. If the plant becomes leggy and bare cut it back to 4-6 inch stems in Feb/March. This will stimulate new growth from the buds in the leaf axils. Place the plant in a sunny spot with temperatures of 60-70F. Start feeding your poinsettia with a well-balanced houseplant fertilizer every 2-3 weeks and continue throughout the growing season. Once new growth starts to show, repot the plant in fresh soil and a larger pot if needed.
In mid-May/June, move your poinsettia outside (when night temps are above 50F) in partial shade, protected from the afternoon sun. You can sink the pot into your flower bed. Be sure to rotate the pot periodically so the roots don’t grow into the soil.
If the plant gets tall and misshapen pinch back the lateral shoots between July-August to shape the plant. The cuttings can also be rooted as new plants.
Initiate blooming
In the fall, when temperatures get below 45ºF for an extended period bring your poinsettia indoors. Poinsettias need short days and long nights to bloom. To initiate blooming you must expose the plant to 14 hrs of uninterrupted darkness (no cheating, even a small amount of light will break the cycle) followed by 10 hrs of bright light for a period of 8-10 weeks starting late September. Keep it in a room that you don’t use in the evening or place it in a black plastic bag or a box. (Don’t forget to take it out during the day.)
Poinsettia needs a cool, bright location during the day with temperatures ranging from 60 to 70F. Water when the soil surface is dry and drain any excess water. Don’t let your plant sit in water as that can cause the roots to rot. Continue to fertilize lightly every 4 wks with 15-16-17, or 20-10-20 until flowering begins (mid-December). Because of lower light conditions and slower growth reduce the amount of fertilizer. Once the plant is in bloom stop fertilizing and resume again in March.
It takes 60-85 days depending on variety, temperature and light intensity for the bracts to show color. 
Reblooming poinsettia requires persistent attention but can be a rewarding challenge!
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I have a poinsettia plant from December 2005 that I have had outdoors since spring. I would like to get it to bloom for this Christmas and have read the previous response. However, I would like to know the following additional information. During the 6 week period of darkness/bright light how often and how much should I water my plant? Should I fertilize before, during or after the 6 weeks and with what type of fertilizer?
When do I stop the dark/light process? Is it once the bracts show color or until in full bloom?
Dec 1st 2007–I have a pointsetta that has lasted since last Dec. Leaves are fully green. is the above remarks on having it rebloom meaning the green leaves will turn red? If, not what do I do to get them red ?
Can you grow a poinsettia from cuttings? If so, how would you do that?
i was wondering if my frost damaged pointsettia can be revived in the spring, it was absolutely gorgeous this winter but now it got damaged HELP!
thank you for your time
I would like to plant my poinsettia’s outside and leave them outside. I have seen other poinsettias in my area planted outside and they seem to thrive. Is that possible in the Florida climate? If so, do I need to trim down to 8″ or can I leave the Red leaves on my plant?
I’ve had a poinsetta from my place of work for several years now.. it’s alive, but i daresay not in the greatest shape. The stems are fairly long with a few leaves at the ends of each (in one case, almost a foot of “knobbly” surface.. other stems averaging 4-6 inches)
I’d like to trim the plant to make it bushier and to stimulate growth, but i’m not exactly sure where i should be cutting..(and i’m scared of trimming too much and killing the plant!). Should i be trimming all at once? or leaving some leaves..
Also, i’m in an office environment, and there’s nowhere for the plant to get good sunlight exposure. Just fluorescent lights during the workweek.
Thanks for your help!