What do you do after your Christmas Flower finishes blooming? Here’s How and When to Prune Poinsettias for the Best Display.
Christmas is incomplete without beautiful poinsettias showing off their red bracts in all their glory! But how do you get them to rebloom next year? Pruning’s the answer—and here’s how and when to prune poinsettias for the best display!
How Often Should Poinsettias Be Pruned
Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is a deciduous to semi-evergreen shrub from Mexico with cup-shaped yellow blooms that emerge from colorful leafy bracts as the year ends.
While fuss-free, the plant flourishes in specific growing conditions, including pruning, this pruning is important because Poinsettias develop their red bracts on new wood!
Aim to prune the poinsettia in its second season and never cut back more than a third of the plant at a time. You can do this through summer, during its growing season, to promote branching and the desired foliage color in fall.
Hardy to USDA zones 9-11, the plant prefers part shade when temperatures rise above 60 F (15 C) and needs a period of cold and a period of darkness before it pushes out red and creamy bracts and yellow blooms in late fall and winter.
You can also pinch back in other seasons apart from fall and early winter for varied results. Let’s learn how to prune poinsettia according to the season!
How to Prune Poinsettias According to Season
1. Winter for More Compact Growth
When growing poinsettias indoors, late winter is the best season to prune them for compact, tidy growth.
Around late January or February, after the bright red bracts are not appearing, have matured and the flowers have bloomed, prune back your young poinsettias (10-12 inches tall) to about 5 inches above the soil line.
This is especially useful if you have been dealing with a slightly unruly or leggy plant. Additionally, it is quite a great way to renew your poinsettia for the next season.
2. Spring for Outdoor Poinsettias
In USDA zones 10-11, where conditions are ripe for growing Christmas Flower outdoors, your plant will hold on to its foliage until March and April before starting to drop. For younger poinsettias, prune back till about 5-6 inches above the soil surface. Remember, this length is for young poinsettias.
However, for older plants that have gained considerable height, trim off only the top few inches of the spindly stems; always ensure that you never cut more than one-third of the plant and at least four leaves remain on each branch. You could also pinch off the growing tips and crossing, tangled branches.
3. Summer to Promote Branching
When grown as houseplants, you can prune strategically to transform its green leaves into stunning reds, pinks, creams, and whites come holiday season. And it isn’t just pruning; you also need to reduce the light it gets to prevent the plant from producing chlorophyll.
For instance, you could prune in late May around Memorial Day in addition to late winter to encourage more side branching. This makes your plant look bushier. Just trim off 2-3 inches of your plant.
4. Leave the Plant Alone in the Fall
Similar to Christmas cactus, poinsettias are short-day plants. Their blooming cycle starts in the fall, and they need a period of dark and cold to push out buds. Gradually provide the plant with 12-14 hours of darkness daily for a month to promote blooms.
Beginning October, keep it in complete darkness as the sun sets, and place a bag over it or keep the plant in the closet if needed, as even the slightest disturbance could disrupt its cycle. By November, buds and colorful bracts will begin to emerge!
Things To Remember
- Though indoor poinsettias don’t necessarily “grow,” much, they can rebloom every year. In contrast, outdoor plants grow rapidly, reaching 10-15 feet.
- Spring and summer are ideal seasons to prune poinsettias when the plant actively grows. Shaping it during this time will give you the desired growth. If you want your poinsettia to be small and bushy, prune more.
- Always wear gloves when working with this plant. When cut, it leaks a milky sap that can irritate the skin. Though not poisonous, this can be serious for people with latex allergies.
While growing the poinsettia as an annual is more effortless, getting it to rebloom is more challenging but fun! So prune away like we said, and tell us how your poinsettia grows in the comments below!
