Why has my poinsettia just started to flower?
My mother in law has asked me why has her poinsettia just started to flower now as it did not flower at Christmas, as it should have done. Is it because of too little water during the rest of the year? It is also a spindly with sparse leaves.
The answer lies in the fact that poinsettias' natural habitat lies in the area of the equator and being photosensitive they like to have 12 hours light and 12 hours dark. Commercial growers for the Christmas market use artificial light to provide this ensuring that they will turn red for the Christmas market. If you like, you can try putting a brown paper bag over its head for 12 hours (or put it in a dark cupboard) from September on and you should see better timing and better condition. I have done it once successfully but it was a tremendous hassle. You could just chuck it away and buy another next Christmas!!
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