Hartley Magazine

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How to get poinsettias blooming two Christmases in a row

Garden and greenhouse enthusiasts have been given some handy tips on reblooming poinsettias, saving them from being thrown out after the holiday period.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press spoke to ecke.com about how to get the best out of the plants.

It recommended trimming the festive species back to about eight inches tall in late March or early April, with watering and all-purpose fertiliser used to keep it nourished through to the end of May, when new growth should occur.

When temperatures start to balance out at about 55 degrees F, plants can be moved outdoors and fertilised every few weeks.

They should be large enough to transplant into a larger pot come June and the soil should be mixed with organic matter to help nourish them.

From October, the plants need to be kept in complete darkness for 14 consecutive hours each night, with six to eight hours of bright sunshine daily.

After about eight to ten weeks of this, a colourful second bloom should flourish just in time for next Christmas.

In other news, the Christian Science Monitor has claimed that cyclamen makes a great holiday plant.