How to Make Those Christmas Plants Bloom Next Year

Ah, the lovely poinsettia you received is still decorating your table. Or perhaps the amaryllis is still awing your holiday guests with its huge blooms. If you think those plants have a date with destiny in the trash bin, though, once they stop showing off, guess again.

Poinsettias are beautiful plants, but many people think it is difficult to get them to bloom in subsequent years. Here are a few pointers to encourage your plant to bloom again.

A few months after Christmas, the plant will drop its blooms. Cut the plant back to 8 inches and keep it in a sunny, warm spot. A southern window will provide the most light in our part of the world. Feed it twice a month and water regularly when the top of the soil is dry to the touch. In June repot the plant using a fresh soil mixture and place the pot in a flowerbed or shady location and keep moist. Beginning October 1, subject the plant to 14 hours of total darkness per day by placing the plant in a closet or covering it with a box. It is important that the plant also receive a maximum of 10 hours per day of light, so you'll have to remove any covering on a daily basis. It is the combination of total darkness alternated with exposure to light that will encourage the plant to rebloom.

Amaryllis can also be encouraged to bloom year after year without much difficulty. They prefer a peat moss based soil medium. Plant the bulbs high in a 6-8 inch pot. At least half of the bulb should be above the soil. Make sure the soil is watered but not saturated since amaryllis has a tendency to rot in the beginning. Once the bulb has really begun to grow, increase the amount of water and fertilize with an all-purpose fertilizer (10-10-10). Place the bulb in a sunny spot away from drafts. It should bloom 6-8 weeks after potting. After blooming, remove the spent flowers and continue to water and fertilize regularly. Continue to do this throughout the summer. You can even bury the bulb, pot and all, in your garden outdoors. In early fall, dig up the pot, stop watering and allow the bulb to dry out in the pot (away from sunlight) indoors. Six to eight weeks prior to Christmas, begin the cycle again.

Next year if someone asks, "Oh, was this a gift?" you can say, "Yes--last year!"