By using The Spruce, you accept our, 10 Top Outdoor Garden Plants That Thrive Indoors. Poinsettias can be grown for years with proper care. After 10 minutes, remove any excess water from the saucer beneath the pot. Look for these varieties: For years, poinsettias have had the bad reputation of being poisonous. Apply fertilizer every two weeks or once monthly using a complete houseplant fertilizer. Your poinsettia plant should have a rounded shape, with dense and compact growth. Poinsettia plants should be watered thoroughly, taking care not to drown them by ensuring adequate drainage is available. A well-cared-for poinsettia can live for up to two years. Be especially careful not to rub your eyes after touching the plants. Poinsettia Easy care in a warm part shaded position, the Poinsettia is a colourful foliage plant that commonly appearing at Christmas time. Make sure your plant is not in an area that gets cold drafts or is too close to a window where its leaves could touch a chilly window pane. Warmer days (65-70 F./18-21 C.) and cooler nights (55-60 F./13-16 C.) are also recommended. So this time I followed all Poinsettia care tips and put plant in window under shady place with enough light. Wilting is a common cause of leaf drop. To be safe, wash your hands after handling a poinsettia plant and try to avoid pinching or pruning them with your hands. Many people are sensitive to this sap, which can cause an itchy rash. It’s important to pinpoint the possible cause in the event that your poinsettia plant leaves are falling off, as in some cases, this can be easily fixed. All of our Poinsettias are British grown and we stock several different varieties, from the ‘Classic Red’ Poinsettia to burgundy, white and marble effect – the more unusual colours sell more quickly so make sure you get in early! Sunlight should be available for the Poinsettia for at least five hours a day. Poinsettia plants should be watered thoroughly, taking care not to drown them by ensuring adequate drainage is available. Most of the people change the place of pot from summer and cold its damage to the plant. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board. A more likely problem to watch out for is contact dermatitis. A loose, well-draining peat-based potting soil is best for your poinsettia. However, cold drafts, allowing the leaves to touch a cold window, or more importantly, lack of decent light, can injure the leaves and cause premature leaf drop. As holiday plants, they are raised in greenhouses in cool temperatures (60 to 72 degrees) with high humidity and light intensity, it can be tricky to duplicate the ideal spot for poinsettias. While it may be easier to buy new plants each year, it is possible to get them to rebloom the next season. Once nights become longer in fall, bring the poinsettia indoors. Carefully. Temperature: These plants prefer temperatures from 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and from 60 to 65 degrees at night. Fertilizing poinsettia plants is never recommended while they’re still in bloom. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Hopefully, your plant will have responded to all of the loving care you provided and will be a beautiful centerpiece in your home for Christmas. From about September through November light becomes crucial in poinsettia plant care. The Spruce uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. If your home tends to be dry and your poinsettia is in direct light, you will find yourself watering more frequently, but never water every day. These finicky short-day plants require specific growing needs in order to retain their Christmas blooms. Use organic fertilizer once a week. In spring, return the plant to a sunny area and water well. Keep the plant near a bright window, and you will begin to see new growth near the end of May. 'Jingle Bells' has red bracts dotted with pink. There is no need to toss the plant, though, just put your poinsettia in a dark, cool area, decrease the amount of water so it dries out a bit, and wait until spring. Punch holes in plastic containers with a hammer and nail. The bright colours on the plant … At this time, prune back the stems to around 7 inches. If the pot is covered by the typical foil wrapping, remove the foil to allow the water to drain. A wilted plant can be revived and salvaged, but it will take another season to improve its appearance. Dropping the temperature to about 60 F at night will not hurt the plant. Also, make sure the leaves are not touching a chilly window pane. Transporting your Plant home. Poinsettia care begins with proper light, water, and temperature conditions. Water the poinsettia when necessary. Environmental factors such as warm, dry conditions are most often the reason for leaf drop. After new growth has reached between 6 to 10 inches, pinch out the tips to encourage branching. After the "blooming" period of six to eight weeks, poinsettias often lose their foliage as they enter dormancy. If the plant stands in water, the roots will rot. Now that you know how do you take care of poinsettias you can keep these lovely plants year round. Check on your poinsettia once a month. However, don’t let it dry out completely. They are also safe to put into the compost. Keep it away from cold drafts and at temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees F to keep it healthy. Besides the traditional red, you will find different colors to enjoy, including cream, yellow, and pink. I watered them when soil feel dry in touch. Think of milkweed, another common Euphorbia. However, cold drafts, allowing the leaves to touch a cold window, or more importantly, lack of decent light, can injure the leaves and cause premature leaf drop. Your poinsettia should receive at least six hours of light each day, whether it receives sunlight or artificial light. Yes. Place the poinsettia near a sunny window. If you want to save your poinsettia and bring it to bloom again next year, you can follow the repotting and reblooming procedure. It may also be a good idea to repot the poinsettia using the same type of soil. When keeping the plant through the year, begin fertilizing in the spring at half strength when there's no growth—not until then. If you wish to keep your poinsettia through more than one season and force reblooming, follow these steps. Protect the plants from both cold and hot drafts … Don’t fertilize your poinsettia when it’s in bloom. Poinsettias like moist but not soggy soil, so you should water your poinsettia when the surface of the soil feels dry to the touch. Hybridizers have expanded the range of colors from the familiar red to pastel yellow and vibrant bicolors. Also, relocate the poinsettia plant to a cool, dark area until spring or around April. Poinsettia care should begin immediately. Provided the poinsettia plant is given the proper environmental conditions, it should begin to regrow within weeks. During the holidays, while in full bloom, they typically enjoy semi-cool, humid locations in bright, indirect light with plenty of moisture. Stress can also be a factor. Water your poinsettia only when the topsoil feels dry to the touch. Water the plant whenever the surface feels dry to the touch. poinsettia plant care christmas plant care tips my plant world how to grow poinsettias by cutting https://youtu.be/jZc_Kqgjzaw thanks for watching Some stores sell poinsettias in cellophane cones that … Allow plenty of light during the day so the plant can absorb enough energy for flowering. Spring and Summer Poinsettia Care. After choosing your plant, ask to have it wrapped in paper to protect its leaves. 8 Poinsettia Plant Care Tips. Poinsettias love bright natural light, so find a sunny spot that receives at least 6 hours of bright, indirect sunlight. Water the plant until you see water begin to seep through the holes at the bottom of the pot. Give them enough sun, warmth, and water and your poinsettia will provide perfect seasonal color. Basic Poinsettia Care. A popular winter flower, the Christmas Star is not just an annual plant. The best indoor spot for a poinsettia is in a west-facing or south-facing window. Follow these tips and you will enjoy your plant well beyond they festive season. Many people cast the plant away, mistakenly believing it has died. Year-Round Poinsettia Care In March or April, the leaves of your poinsettia will begin to turn muddy-looking, faded, and will soon fall off. Keeping Poinsettia Plants Beautiful In Season. The familiar red blooms have been joined by even flashier colors. How to Take Care of a Poinsettia During the Holidays Though they are popular as holiday plants, remember that poinsettias have tropical origins. Whether you are gifted with a green thumb or not, our guide will help you grow the perfect houseplants. Keep the plant in a cool, draft-free area and provide plenty of water. Because poinsettias have been forced into bloom, they need some extra care to keep them in bloom throughout the holidays. the first thing to do to make sure that your poinsettia Care after Christmas is it excess, is to make sure that you care for the plant well during the winter, and follow the poinsettia care tips above. Remove all decorative coverings from your poinsettia after the holidays to allow good water drainage from its container. Poinsettias are tropicals and will appreciate as much direct sunlight as you can provide. Either way is fine. Water until it drains out the bottom, but do not let the plant sit in water. Cut back all canes (branches) to about 6 inches from the pot’s rim. How do you take care of poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima)? Breeders are bringing us more varieties each year, different color combinations to add even more interest to the Christmas plant. Give the plant a good watering, but don't flood or soak it — gravel in the bottom of the pot will help keep the roots dry. If all else fails, the plant may need to be discarded. Year-Round Poinsettia Care In March or April, the leaves of your poinsettia will begin to turn muddy-looking, faded, and will soon fall off. Adding plants nearby can help increase humidity levels in dry rooms, as will humidifiers. Poinsettia plants (Euphorbia pulcherrima) remain one of the most popular holiday flowers. Marie Iannotti is an author, photographer, and speaker with 27 years of experience as a Cornell Cooperative Extension Horticulture Educator and Master Gardener. Choosing your Poinsettia. St. Patrick's Day. If it’s your potted holiday plant that makes you ask about planting poinsettia outdoors, you have to start treating the plant well from the moment it arrives. Fertilize poinsettias only if keeping them after the holiday season. So in the case of a poinsettia plant, those pops of colors are actually leaves. Warning poinsettia foliage contains a sap that can irritate the mouth and esophagus tissue if ingested. Since poinsettia plants are from the tropics, they prefer surroundings that simulate that type of environment. Poinsettias are not frost-tolerant. Get it free when you sign up for our newsletter. They certainly are not meant to be eaten by humans, pets, or livestock and ingesting poinsettias would probably cause some stomach upset, as would eating almost any houseplant. Poinsettia plants grow best during the winter months, which is why they are the most popular potted plant during the holidays. 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