Poinsettias

If you want to bring your garden alive with dazzling red in winter, then you can't go past the magnificent red Poinsettias. Poinsettias are marvellous plants with magnificent bright red displays that last all through winter. It is actually the Poinsettia bracts that produce the marvellous red displays. The flowers are rather smaller than the bracts and look insignificant in comparison. This is much the same as Bougainvilleas. POSITION For Poinsettias to truly put on their wonderful display, they need a bright sunny position and a rich garden soil. When planting, they will need sufficient room to spread as they can grow to about 2m tall. SOIL When planting, for excellent growth they love a rich organic garden soil. Dig a hole and fill with Searles® Garden Soil Mix, or you can mix some existing soil into it. WATER Poinsettias like a moderate amount of water, so once to twice a week would be enough. As with all plants, they will require more watering during hot and dry weather, and less in the cooler months. Whenever watering, be sure to give them a good deep drink.
	FERTILISER What Poinsettias really love is potash. Potash is the trick to their wonderful red displays. The best way to treat Poinsettias to potash is by using Searles® Liquid Potash, every 2-3 weeks. Do this before they flower. Poinsettia flowering is usually during winter. Their flowering is triggered by shorter days, so a good time to start fertilising with Liquid potash is during early autumn right up to winter. This will ensure marvellous red displays.
In Spring, summer and autumn, give them a fertilising with Searles® Complete Plant Food and be sure to water it in straight away. This will help maintain good robust growth. PRUNING After they have finished flowering, prune them back and keep the water up to them. You will be rewarded with their brilliant red displays every winter. Happy Gardening with Searles from the Searle family. © Copyright 2002 JC & AT Searle Pty Ltd You may make a copy of this Fact Sheet for your personal, non-commercial use only. Please do not make any other use of this Fact Sheet without first obtaining our permission.