Well it's time for an update on my poinsettia plant. I am happy to say, no make that very happy to say that the poinsettia that my mother gave me last year is still alive and doing extremely well. It has been somewhat difficult, but that $7 I spent on a timer was well worth it. The timer has also given me the freedom to leave the house and return without worring about if I turned the light on.
I have discovered that in order for a poinsettia to bloom the plant needs 13-15 hours of complete darkness, and I do mean complete darkness. I set my timer to turn the light on at 8 am and go off at 5pm that gives my plant 9 hours of light which leaves 15 hours of darkness. I have kept my Amaryllis bulbs under the same light I thought they might have suffered with the lack of light but they seem to be doing well I even had to repot several because they were doing so well. As soon as the leaves turn completely red the plant will no longer need to be in a place that needs limited light.
This is the first time that I have ever done anything with a poinsettia. My sister always gives a poinsettia plant to our mother for Christmas and every year it dies because my mother has no idea how to take care of it. I know this may sound bad but I hope that my sister gives her another one this year because if she does I know that my mother will end up giving it to me and than I will have another poinsettia that I can enjoy.
