"Every year I buy Poinsettias that are always so beautiful that I hate to throw them away. Can I get them to rebloom?"

There are two answers to this, the most Frequently Asked Poinsettia Question. The first I heard on a radio garden talk show about 35 years ago.

"Wait until the coldest day of the winter," said the very wise horticulturist hosting the program. "Then open a window and throw the Poinsettia out. Then close the window."

"What!" shrieked the caller. "Then what?"

"Wait until next year and buy another one."

Good answer.

Answer number two is much more involved and you have to decide if the effort is really worth it because Poinsettias are one of the most difficult plants to coax into reblooming indoors.

And the results certainly won't be of the same quality as a commercially grown plant.

But If You Really Want To Try

Through the Christmas season and until the leaves fall off, keep the Poinsettia damp, not wet, in bright light and away from drafts, hot or cold.

After most of the leaves drop, reduce the watering and store the dormant plant in a cool, well ventilated place at 60 degrees or above. In March prune back the stems to about 6 inches and re-pot into a container which is one to two inches larger in diameter than the original pot. Use a commercial, soilless potting mix.

Water the plant thoroughly and place it in a sunny window, keeping it at 70 to 75 degrees.

When new growth begins, the Poinsettia should be fertilized every two weeks with a water soluble, complete fertilizer.

Once the danger of frost is past in your area, move the plant outdoors where it receives moderate shade in mid-afternoon. As growth develops, cut or pinch back, leaving three or four leaves on each shoot. Repeat each time the plant sends out new shoots until mid-August. Then bring the plant indoors and set it near a sunny window where the temperature will remain between 65 to 70 degrees. DON'T PLANT THE POINSETTIA IN THE GROUND.

The easy part is over. Now comes the real trick. (Are you still sure you want to do this?)

To have the plant in full bloom by Christmas, you must keep it in complete darkness from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. starting the first week in October and continuing until Thanksgiving. Flowering will be delayed if the plant receives any light during this period. Any. I'm talking total darkness here.

Even a short exposure to a dim light will mess the whole thing up because Poinsettias set flower buds only after being exposed to 10 hours of light or less for about 10 weeks.

Okay, total darkness for 14 hours but in the daytime the plant must be in a sunny location for maximum growth and development of those bracts and flowers you're diligently trying to create.

If, after almost a year of effort, your Poinsettia colors, bring it out, rejoice and continue fertilizing until mid-December, then reduce applications to one-half the normal amount and start all over again.

Or see answer number 1.

When horticulturist Tom Schneider isn't trying to get Poinsettias to rebloom he is assisting his wife, Deb, with their business, Windstar Embroidery. Please visit them for machine embroidery designs and embroidered linens and apparel.