I don't even know if they can be grown here. I've never heard of anyone starting them from seeds or cuttings or anything like that but I'd love to try if its possible.
And also any info on caring for them after you buy them would be appreciated. Mine never seem to last very well.

Thanks in advance!

Poinsettias indoors

Poinsettias in the garden

They are easy to start from cuttings. Just take a 4 inch cutting and stick it in a pot with well draining potting soil and keep moist in bright light but no sun.

There are a LOT of poinsettia links if you google Poinsettia. They are VERY easy to grow. I let the soil dry out a bit between waterings. I prune it half way back in the late winter/early spring and and again in July. To get them to color up give them 12-14 hours of TOTAL DARKNESS every night beginning October 1st for 40 nights making sure to put them back in bright light in the morning. Feed every other watering with half strength miracle grow or a 10-10-10 or 20-20-20 fertilzer.

Tom

Poinsettia's fall under different response times....anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks for signs of first color. Once you begin seeing coloring in the bracts you can stop with the SD treatment.
As a graduate of greenhouse/nursery all of us students were in charge of growing our own crops of Poinsettia (3-4 different cultivars each) and we started our shortday treatment with the fall equinox (Sept. 22). The rooted cutting arrived from Fishers and Ecke (websites online for more info) in July. Plants were ready between Nov. 12th thru December 12th. Poinsettia require more Mg and Ca then most plants and benefit from a feeding of a 15-5-15 Cal-Mag at least every other 3rd watering to prevent stems from becoming brittle or weak...eventually breaking off.
I have had my own personal plant for 3 years (the current one a cutting from the mother plant) and failed to feed it the extra ca/mg and lost some stems this year. Finally I cut it clear back leaving 4-5 nodes which are currently leafing out.

Good Luck,

Vera

Forgot to mention that our fertilizing regime went like this:
20-10-20 @ 100ppm at every watering with the 15-5-15 Cal-Mag on the 3rd watering during the last phase of production.
At home I feed regular houseplant strength MG 15-30-15 during the growing season and nothing between now and spring. Still looking for a Ca-Mg source of fertilzer that I can't seem to find in the stores.

Vera

Mg you can get from epson salts.

I've seen a pointsettia growing in ground in corpus christi.It was about 10 ft *and quiet some time ago..... like maybe 21-22 yrs ago* I also seen some growing in some folks yards.I've not had much luck with getting any of them christmas ones to winter over to even TRY to grow it in ground.
yes.I'll buy another few this year too.

I live practically right down the street from the Paul Ecke poinsettia ranch, in Encinitas, California.
It's a HUGE business here.

Yes...I can get it from Epsom salts, but I'd like a 15-5-15 cal/mg Can't seem to find it around here outside of the school.

Wow!! That's awesome Deborah!!
Take a look at my school's trial plants...we have a website set up to see our results from the beginning to the end for both the Fisher and Ecke Poinsettia's. My crops were the Fisher (2005): Sonora White, Marble Star, Cortez Hot Pink and Holly Berry
I had no idea my Instructor still had the website up, but I see I will be able to track the students for the 2006 season...COOL!!

Vera

SCC Poinsettia Trials

That was awesome ! And a cool site too !

Thanks a ton everyone... You guys rock!

sue

I started my extra poinsettas from cuttings, outside ....

Just cut where there is a node and put them directly into the soil.. Shaded place.
Keep them watered and mist if possible.

Mine grew like crazy.. Natives of Mexico.
Which has a much larger bloom than ours.

dodge