Senior Connections Senior Connections Dec. 2018

Reblooming your poinsettia CHRISTIE SCHLUETER Believe it or not the lovely poinsettia plant that you place in your home during the holidays was once used as a fever medicine. Native to Central America, the plant ﬂ ourished in southern Mexico. To the ancient Aztecs, the colorful plant was not only decorative, but they put it to practi- cal use. From its bracts (stems) they extracted a purplish dye for use in textiles and cosmetics. The milky white sap, today called latex, was made into preparation to treat fevers. In the early 1880s, along came Joel Roberts Poinsett (1779-1851). The son of a French physician, Poinsett was appointed as the ﬁ rst United States Ambassador to Mexico (1825-1829) by President Adams. Poinsett set up his own hothouses on his South Car- olina plantations and while visiting Mexico in 1828, he became enchanted by the brilliant red blooms he saw there. He immediately sent some of the plants back to South Carolina, where he began propagating the plants and sending them to friends and botanical gardens. The rest is history. Mr. Poinsett later founded the institution which we know today as the Smithsonian Institution. Do: Do place your plant in indirect sunlight for at least six hours per day. If direct sun cannot be avoided, dif- fuse the light with a shade or sheer curtain. Do provide room temperatures between 68-70 de- grees. Generally speaking, if you are comfortable so Located in the friendly river city of Watertown �� is your poinsettia. end of May you should see new growth. Do water your plant when the soil feels dry to the Place plant outdoors, continue regular water- touch. ing during the growth period and fertilize every 2- Do use a large, roomy shopping bag to protect your 3 weeks. Pruning may be required to keep the plant plant when transporting it. compact (usually in late June or early July). Prune no Do fertilize your plant after the blooming season later than Sept. 1. with a balanced, all-purpose fertilizer. Around June 1, you may transplant your poinset- Don’t: tia into a larger pot. Select a pot no more than four Don’t place plants near cold drafts or excessive inches larger than the original pot. heat. Avoid placing plants near appliances, ﬁ replaces, Starting Oct. 1, the plant must be kept in complete or ventilating ducts. darkness for 14 continuous hours each night. Keep in Don’t expose plants to temperatures below 50. a dark room or cover it in a large box. Poinsettias are sensitive to cold, so avoid placing During October, November, and early December, them near cold or drafty doors and windows. poinsettias require 6-8 hours of bright sunlight daily Don’t over-water your plant, or allow it to sit in with night temperatures between 60-70; temperatures standing water. Always remove a plant from any dec- outside this range can delay ﬂ owering. Continue the orative container or wrapping before watering, and normal watering and fertilizer program. allow the water to drain completely. Carefully following the regime 8-10 weeks should Don’t fertilize your plant when in bloom. result in a colorful display of blooms for the holiday Select plants with stiff stems and no signs of wilt- season. ing, breaking, or drooping. Beware of plants displayed in paper or plastic or mesh sleeves �� or plants that are too closely crowded in as store display. A poinsettia needs its space and �� the longer a plant remains sleeved the more �� the plant quality will deteriorate. Avoid water- �� logged soil, that could signal root rot. It is bet- �� ter if it is dry. �� Getting your poinsettia to rebloom: �� By late March or April, cut it back to about � �� eight inches in height, continue a regular wa- �� tering program, and fertilize your plant with �� a good balanced all purpose fertilizer. By the Cooking Country Chris �� 14 Senior Connections December 2018 Senior Connections HJ.COM

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