Poinsettia - Orchid Board

orchidsarefun · #1 10-02-2012, 11:29 AM

I "saved" this poinsettia from the dump, mainly because of its unusual flowers. Its grown well over the summer.
So, after investigation, it seems I have to overnight it in complete darkness. For 6-8 weeks !!!
Has anyone any tips on getting it to "flower" - easier than the above ?

orchidsarefun · #2 10-02-2012, 11:30 AM

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cbuchman · #3 10-02-2012, 11:51 AM

Sorry. I've never done this because of the 12 hours of darkness requirement! I've never heard of anything else to induce flowering (remember that the red leaves are bracts and the little yellow things are the flower

)

Lagoon · #4 10-02-2012, 11:56 AM

I have never done that, didn't actually know I was suppose to. I just kept mine in the windows and allowed the daytime to fall into night time and they would bloom within a couple months.

For me it was the easy way

orchidsarefun · #5 10-02-2012, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lagoon

I have never done that, didn't actually know I was suppose to. I just kept mine in the windows and allowed the daytime to fall into night time and they would bloom within a couple months.

For me it was the easy way

was it in a room that you used at night ? I ask because I have read that ANY light disrupts the cycle. I am going to do what you have done as traipsing around with that heavy pot is not going to be good for my temper !

Lagoon · #6 10-02-2012, 12:05 PM

I don't think that a low light for a few hrs here and there would change much. Some were kept in the kichen and some in a spare bedroom.

If you have more then one maybe you could run you're own little test?

Be ready cause boy do they get large also pretty fast growers too.

orchidsarefun · #7 10-02-2012, 12:13 PM

yep - mine is at least 3 times as big as it was when I got it...
I don't know why I do this as I barely have space for my orchids.....I have a mandevilla thats huge and used to have a plumeria that I had to get rid of because it got so big. And then we also have rose-scented geraniums that need to be over-wintered. And amaryllis seedlings, about 60....

flexdc · #8 10-02-2012, 03:54 PM

Yep the 12 hour darkness requirement is no joke! We have them here as garden plants. They are huge like trees and only flower during the winter months from Dec to March.

chucknora · #9 10-11-2012, 03:49 PM

I wasn't aware of the darkness requirement, maybe this year I'll try it. Mine usually change color when it starts getting colder, but I haven't paid much attention to when/if they've flowered. Let me know what works best for you!

fotofashion · #10 10-11-2012, 08:54 PM

When I lived in Mexico (Guadalajara to be exact) and remember Poinsettias are native there, we pruned our plants back until August and then let them grow the rest of the summer and winter. They then bloomed on schedule-December. We sometimes had to cover them when it got too cold. This was the reason to keep them pruned. The ones that did the best were planted near a south-facing wall which stored heat from the sun so they were kept sufficiently warm at night. HTH
Beverly A.