The poinsettia is a lovely green leafed plant most of the year and as we approach Christmas with very short daylight hours we find the plant producing a vibrant red colour and now with hybrid plants we find plants that are pink or white in colour available to brighten up the dark days of December.

For the plant to turn bright red it requires the correct amount of dark time to allow the plant to make that change. They will require around eight to 10 hours of darkness to make the change.

Poinsettias like bright conditions but not too much direct sunlight and make sure you do not leave near a window that is bright and warm in daytime but cold and damp during the night.

The plant will also like warm conditions and often the loss of leaf early or plants that start to droop is caused by sudden drops in temperature. It is a good idea to position the plants where there will not be this sudden drop in temperature, best with a constant medium heat between 10 to 20 degrees than fluctuating temperatures. The best time to water the plants is when the surface feels dry to touch but make sure you do not over water as this is also a common problem that will cause the plant to lose its leaves. Do not water late in the evening and if you use a saucer or water plate beneath the pot don’t leave excess water in the base of the plant.

A lot of people discard the poinsettia immediately after Christmas however it is a plant you can keep growing throughout the year. Once the Christmas season or wait to spring to cut your plant back to about four or five inches and keep reasonably dry and warm until May/June.

Keep the plant moist and do not allow to dry out. Any shoots that are produced can be continually pinched back to give a bushy plant later in the season. It has been known to be ok outside however better growth is achieved by being indoors in a bright airy room away from any draft conditions. When new growth appears apply a little plant food within the watering to help the new growth.

The plant will require to return to darkness during the autumn months to encourage the change within the plant to turn red. It is important to keep the plant in at least 12 hours of darkness during the autumn months in preparation of Christmas to allow the colour change to take place. Remember if you are going for a real tree this can be recycled in Pollok Country Park next to the Burrell Collection, Alexandra Park, next to the golf course and Kelvingrove Park next to the bandstand.

Paul Brannan

Paul is Works Controller with Land and Environmental Services with responsibility for managing maintenance teams in Pollok Country Park, Glasgow Green and Glasgow’s’ Golf Courses, Football Pitches and Bowling Greens. Paul is currently studying for a degree in soil science.