How to care for a poinsettia

Caring for your poinsettia

1. Light. Place your poinsettia in a well-lit room, with as much indirect sunlight as possible.
2. Temperature. Keep the poinsettia at normal room temperature, but not above 20°C. ...
3. Watering. Water in moderation with tepid water when the soil is dry to the touch. ...
4. Fertilizing. ...
5. Pruning and repotting. ...
6. Light. ...
7. Temperature. ...
8. Watering.

1. How do you care for a poinsettia plant indoors?
2. How long can you keep a poinsettia alive?
3. How often do you water a poinsettia?
4. How do you keep a potted poinsettia alive?
5. Why are all the leaves falling off my poinsettia?
6. When should I put my poinsettia in the dark?
7. What do I do with my poinsettia after Christmas?
8. How do you get a poinsettia to turn red again?
9. How do you get a poinsettia to bloom again?
10. What is the best way to water a poinsettia?
11. How long does a potted poinsettia last?
12. Where should I put my poinsettia?

How do you care for a poinsettia plant indoors?

Place potted poinsettias indoors in indirect light. Six hours or more of light (natural or fluorescent) is best. Keep them comfortable, ideally between 65 and 75 degrees, day or night. Lower temperatures will make them drop leaves almost immediately and shut down.

How long can you keep a poinsettia alive?

Today's poinsettias can last longer than ever, often for months. To help yours stay pretty, follow this advice from Ron Wolford, creator of the Poinsettia Pages: Place your poinsettia in indirect light after bringing it home. Poinsettias need six hours of light daily (fluorescent light will work).

How often do you water a poinsettia?

In your home, put the poinsettia in a well lighted area away from drafts and heat vents. Water the poinsettia when the pot becomes lightweight or when the soil becomes dry to the touch, about once a week. Water the plant thoroughly in a sink, letting it drain, before putting it back where it was.

How do you keep a potted poinsettia alive?

To keep them happy throughout the season, place them in bright, indirect light. Water them regularly so that the soil stays evenly moist; if the surface of the soil is dry to the touch, it's time for a drink. Just be wary of flooding them, because their roots can start to rot if they sit in standing water.

Why are all the leaves falling off my poinsettia?

Poinsettias will classically drop their leaves if they are exposed to sudden changes in temperature, drafts or overly cool or dry rooms. They also will lose leaves and wilt in response to an extreme need for water. When choosing a plant, pick a healthy, full one with no discoloration on the foliage.

When should I put my poinsettia in the dark?

To re-flower your poinsettia, you must keep the plant in complete darkness between 5pm and 8am daily from the end of September until color shows in the bracts (early to mid-December). The temperature should remain between 60 and 70 degrees F.

What do I do with my poinsettia after Christmas?

Toss the poinsettia when you grow tired of it or it becomes unattractive. For those home gardeners who enjoy a challenge, it is possible to get the poinsettia to bloom again next season. Cut the stems back to within 4 to 6 inches of the soil in March. The poinsettia may also be repotted at this time.

How do you get a poinsettia to turn red again?

How To Get a Poinsettia To Turn Red

1. Help your poinsettia to turn red by placing it in total darkness for 14 hours each day, starting eight weeks before you want to display it.
2. During the day, the plant needs bright light, but it should be placed in complete darkness every evening.

How do you get a poinsettia to bloom again?

To coax a poinsettia plant to bloom again, it's necessary to repeat the poinsettia life cycle. After the holidays and once blooming has ceased, limit the amount of watering so the plant can go dormant until spring. Then, usually around March or April, regular watering can be resumed and fertilizing can begin.

What is the best way to water a poinsettia?

The best way to water a poinsettia plant is to put the plant in the kitchen sink, then saturate the plant slowly until water drips through the drainage hole. Let the pot stand in the sink until excess moisture drains, and then set the pot on a plate or tray. Never allow the pot to stand in water.

How long does a potted poinsettia last?

If well cared for, they can stay in bloom up to six months. Now THAT'S how you keep Christmas going all year long. Clarification: A previous version of this story indicated that a well cared for poinsettia can last up to six months. That's how long it can stay in bloom, though the plant can live longer.

Where should I put my poinsettia?

Poinsettias also like lots of direct light. Place your plants near a southern, eastern or western window and keep the soil moist while they are still in bloom. Balsis warns against allowing poinsettias to sit in water. Instead, gently remove the plant from its container, soak it well and place it back in the pot.