Prune off the old stems in late winter or early spring by cutting them back... Prune the Growing Tips.

5 January in Plants.

The stems start to become leggy and tall, just like their ancestors were, and some pruning is needed to keep them looking compact and full.

I'm scared of hurting him though, how much can I prune back? They will grow but will remain completely green all summer. Continue to fertilize the poinsettia every two weeks during the summer with a general purpose fertilizer, and prune the plant to keep a full and compact shape. How to Prune Poinsettias. A southern window is ideal. If your plant looks leggy after pruning, move it to a location where it will get plenty of direct sunlight. By Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor University of Vermont People have different opinions about the poinsettia. Some people prefer to leave them to their own means but they can get very leggy and unattractive if not pruned. Once the weather begins to heat up, it can be helpful to cut away roughly a third (or even up to half) of your poinsettia’s overall size. Strategic pruning is necessary to kickstart growth. Trim the stems back to 6–8 inches (15–20 cm) in the spring or summer. The best time to prune the growing poinsettia is late June through early July and again in mid August. To get them to re-bloom next year, around the end of September to the first week of October they should be placed in a location where they get at least 12 hours of darkness. The plant needs to be “pinched” back periodically to control its height and to promote a fuller plant. The leaves, which are typically light green, change to a deep orange or red colour in the fall. Prune in early spring when the floral display is over and the danger of frost has passed. And if you want it to re-bloom for next year, we've got tips for that, too (but fair warning: that's a lot harder to do). Some consider it a holiday plant to be enjoyed during the month of December, then discarded with the Christmas tree. You want to keep it at about 60 F. Spring is a time to prune stems back four to six inches, which should promote new growth. DO Position Your Poinsettia in a Well-Lit Location. Pruning poinsettia is not like any other pruning because poinsettia is a Euphorbia (the Latin name is Euphorbia pulcherrima) and has a white sap (also called latex) which oozes from the cut. The stems are woody now, can I still cut them? Do not prune after midsummer into the … Millie.mary Posts: 4. How do I make sure it will bloom again? A poinsettia’s true nature becomes apparent as we grow them on as houseplants after the holiday season, and the dwarfing chemicals used in greenhouses wear off. Poinsettias might seem short-lived because they usually start dropping their brightly-colored bracts (the modified leaves that often get mistaken for petals) and looking sparse soon after the holidays are over, but today's varieties actually last much longer than they did … Step 1. When I'm pruning my poinsettias, I use a small sponge which I dip in a glass of warm water to stop the sap "bleed" from the cut. If only a small part of it leaks out, then some parts of the plant might not get "fed" and die. Finally, prune each of the remaining branches back to about 2 feet tall, leaving the plant looking like a bunch of sticks. Here's how to care for poinsettias during the season (and beyond): First, Buy a Healthy Poinsettia Poinsettia is the brilliant Christmas plant that, with a little love, will bloom long after the ho-ho-hos have faded.