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Keep soil moist. Water plant when the soil surface feels dry to a light touch, or pot feels lightweight when lifted. Never allow poinsettias to get so dry that they wilt. Remove from decorative foil or outer pot before watering. Continue watering as needed January through March.
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 do you keep poinsettias alive?
Poinsettias need direct light. Place your plants by a window and keep the growing medium moist during flowering. If the growing medium feels dry to the touch, water again. In the fall, when temperatures drop below 18 °C, bring your poinsettias back inside.
Why are the leaves on my poinsettia falling off?
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.
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.
What do you do with poinsettias after Christmas?
Place your poinsettias where they will receive at least 6 hours of indirect, but bright, sunlight each day. In mid-April pinch back the stems to 6-8 inches and place the plants in a sunny location. When new growth begins, you may use a liquid fertilizer to ensure the plants get enough minerals, especially calcium.
Does poinsettia need sunlight?
Poinsettias need six hours of light daily (fluorescent light will work). Keep your plant away from cold windows, warm or cold drafts from furnaces or air conditioners, and open doors and windows.
Can I keep my poinsettia outside?
You can keep growing them like a houseplant if you like, but in the spring once the temperatures at night are regularly above 50°F, you can place your poinsettias outside if you want. Choose a spot that gets bright, indirect light (somewhere that gets shade in the afternoon would be perfect).
Can I plant my poinsettia outside?
Poinsettias aren’t popular only at Christmas time. With the right care, these traditional holiday plants can shed their shiny foil and bows to become long-lasting houseplants. You can also grow them outdoors in your garden if you live in a frost-free area.
Can you use ice cubes to water poinsettias?
One helpful trick is to learn how to water poinsettias with ice cubes! With this technique, the ice cube waters the plant slowly and evenly as it melts. At the suggested rate of one ice cube per inch of pot diameter, a typical 6” pot would call for six ice cubes.
What does an overwatered poinsettia look like?
If your Poinsettia is wilting, or if it has yellowing leaves, this is a sign that it’s likely being overwatered. One way to confirm this is by feeling its soil. If the soil is wet and your plant is wilting then it’s probably being overwatered.
How do you know when a poinsettia is dying?
A • A Poinsettia that is wilting is either too hot, too wet, or too dry. Poinsettias need to be constantly moist and will visibly wilt if allowed to become too dry. Feel the soil. If dry, water thoroughly, and it will quickly revive, but some leaves will be shed as a result.
How long does a poinsettia last?
If cared for properly, a potted poinsettia can last for 2 to 3 months in your home. However, some home gardeners with a particularly green thumb may enjoy the challenge of caring for a poinsettia long after Christmas in hopes of a second bloom next holiday.
Can you overwater a poinsettia?
Poinsettias prefer bright, indirect light and should be watered when the soil is dry to the touch. A final caution: Do not overwater your poinsettia or let it sit in standing water.
Is poinsettia indoor or outdoor?
Poinsettias are hardy in zones 9 through 11. They can be grown as long-lasting houseplants, and you can transplant them into the garden in frost-free areas like ours. If you’re keeping your potted Poinsettia plants indoors, keep them in sunny rooms that have a south, east, or west exposure.
Is poinsettia a houseplant?
Yes, you can keep your Christmas poinsettias as houseplants, and you can even get them to bloom again next year.
How do I save my poinsettia for next year?
After all the leaves have fallen, store the plant, in its pot, in a cool (50 to 60°F), dry, dark area. Keep the plant somewhat on the dry side; water only enough to keep the stems from withering.
Do poinsettias rebloom?
Teaches Gardening. Poinsettias are a popular holiday plant. With proper care, the festive plants can rebloom the following year.
