by Jerry Davis
Now what? The poinsettia, best pronounced poyn-seh-tee-ah, is a perennial plant and can be carried over to another Christmas, but it takes some doing and a misstep may mean going back to the beginning and having to wait until 2027. But it can be fun, too. Poinsettia plants are short-day plants. This means they need 12-14 hours of uninterrupted darkness for several weeks to trigger development of colorful red bracts (modified leaves) to change color and start flower development in October. If this cycle is interrupted, start over, please. Pruning, watering, soil changing, and fertilizing, too, need to be applied. The bracts may be less than the first time due to several factors of messing up along the way. If this seems fun, try it; if not purchase a new plant in November but keep this one as long as the foliage is appealing.