Poinsettias are beautiful holiday plants; it’s no wonder why many gardeners want to know how to grow poinsettias from cuttings. These plants don’t usually live long, but you can apply appropriate care if you’re going to extend their growing season. Or better yet, you can grow new plants by learning how to grow poinsettias from cuttings.
Propagation is one of the best ways to grow poinsettias. The process involves cutting from a plant, placing it in soil, and giving it water to grow. There are other ways to propagate plants, but leaf-cutting is the best method of propagation for poinsettias.
How to Grow Poinsettias from Cuttings
Leaf cuttings are exactly how it sounds like – you take a cutting of a leaf from the plant. You remove the leafstalk from the main stem or plant, and then you propagate it. Here’s how:
Step #1: Cut the leafstalk
Before you cut the stalk, it’s important to know exactly where you should cut it. Cut the entire lead and the stem by angling your shears at a 45-degree angle. Every cutting should be at least four inches long, and it should be taken from a healthy plant. You can take more than one cutting, but make sure not to take too much because this may stunt plant growth or even kill them.
Step #2: Prepare your container
A greenhouse planter is the best container to germinate and grow cuttings. This planter is a big tray with little holes where you place your leaf cuttings. For propagating poinsettias, you can use these trays for the rooting process. Once the roots are established, you can transplant these into another container or in a mini greenhouse. Make sure the growing environment has good lighting, humidity, drainage, and moisture.
Take your planter, add soil to the hold, and mist it with lukewarm water to keep it moist before placing your cuttings.
Step #3: Plant your poinsettia cuttings
Once your cuttings are ready for planting, the next step is to plant them. Dip each one into a rooting compound until the stem is saturated and carefully plant them into the soil. Spray them with water and cover them with a clear plastic cover to increase humidity.
How to Take Care of Your Cuttings
After you’ve planted your cuttings, you need to take care of them. Adjust moisture levels and move them to a sunny place where they can get enough warmth. Let the air circulate by taking the plastic cover of your greenhouse.
Prevent the leaves from wilting by cutting them again, but make sure not to cut too much. Leave some right at the center of the cutting. This encourages growth as the main stem and the leaves are exposed to the sunlight. The more light your cuttings can get, the faster the roots will grow.
Your cuttings’ ideal air temperature should be at 70 degrees F in the morning and 60 degrees F in the evenings. Make sure to keep the humidity as high as possible since poinsettias love humidity – after all, they’re tropical plants! Increasing humidity shouldn’t be a problem if you’re growing your plants in a mini greenhouse.
Once the roots are established and the cutting is starting to grow, you can transplant your plants into your garden or in a terrarium to decorate your home. If you choose to place them in a terrarium, you can continue to control the growing environment and encourage them to grow and root better.
When your plants grow into full plants, you can transfer them to pots or gardens and take care of them as you would with another holiday plant.
The Benefits of Growing Poinsettias from Cuttings in a Mini Greenhouse
Growing your poinsettias in a mini greenhouse has its perks. Your plants are vulnerable when they’re little, so keeping them in an enclosed space – away from the elements – allows them to grow faster and healthier.
Here are some of the reasons why you should consider growing your poinsettia cuttings in a mini greenhouse:
Protection from harmful pests that want to eat your plants
Spider mites, thrips, fungus gnats, whiteflies, and shore flies are some of the insects that prey on poinsettias. Bacterial soft rot, poinsettia scab, powdery mildew, and botrytis blight are the common diseases that affect these holiday plants. Keeping them safe inside a greenhouse reduced the risk of attracting pests and diseases.
Start plant growth early
With a mini greenhouse, you can start growing your plants early on. You don’t have to wait for the weather because you can create a microclimate inside the greenhouse. Install heating and cooling systems, grow lights, etc. so you can make an ideal growing environment for your poinsettias.
Protection from bad weather
Bad weather can quickly destroy your garden. A mini greenhouse keeps your plants safe from ice, frost, high wind, and heavy rain. You can place them inside the structure until the weather warms before transplanting them back into your garden.
Final Thoughts on How to Grow Poinsettias from Cuttings
Now that you know how to grow poinsettias from cuttings, you’ll be able to enjoy these lovely holiday plants throughout the Christmas season.