(continued from last week)
Poinsettia with its bright velvety red bracts would make an ideal Christmas gift. For those who are under the weather, it is bound to cheer them up and brighten their homes.
During the Christmas holidays, Poinsettia is used to decorate homes, offices, stores, shop windows, banks and malls. It comes in five colours – red, white, peach, pink, and marble which is a combination of red and white.
Last week, I received the most amazing and marvellous rich velvet red Poinsettia in an eight-inch pot. My plant is doing very well.
Make sure you know how to take care of Poinsettia so that you can enjoy it to the fullest.
If you like a challenge, plant out your poinsettia in mid-February after all the red bracts have fallen off. Alternatively, you can cut the bracts back. Repot the plant by removing some of the old soil and add some regular potting soil to it. Fertilize with Miracle Gro All Purpose Plant Food once every two weeks.
The plant’s bracts will turn red naturally approximately 2 to 3 times per year, but not necessarily for Christmas. The plant must have 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness for several weeks prior to Christmas for it to go red at that time.
Warning: Stems and bracts if broken give off a milky sap. At all cost avoid contact with the eyes.
Until next week, Happy Gardening.
