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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 long does a potted 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.
How do you keep poinsettias alive indoors?
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.
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.
How do I get my poinsettia to bloom again?
How to Get Poinsettias to Rebloom Prune your poinsettia plant. Fertilize the poinsettia every two weeks. Repot the plant in warmer months. Transport your plant outdoors. Pinch to encourage side branching. Place the poinsettia in a warm, dark environment. Display your poinsettia plant.
Why are 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.
Do poinsettias need direct sunlight?
Place your poinsettia in indirect light after bringing it home. 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.
Where’s the best place to put a poinsettia?
We recommend placing yours by a well-lit window, so that it can receive the proper amount of sunlight. East-facing windows are best so that they can catch the morning’s glow and bask in the afternoon’s shade. Make sure that no part of your plant touches the windowpane, as this may harm the poinsettia.
How should poinsettias be watered?
When should I water my poinsettia? Water your poinsettia plant only when the top layer of soil feels dry to the touch. Thoroughly moisten the soil to the point that water is draining from the bottom of the growing pot. Discard any excess water that builds up in the saucer or decorative foil pot cover.
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.
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.
Should I repot my poinsettia?
As a poinsettia grows over the summer, its roots grow as well, and they can get cramped in a small pot. So, when you bring your poinsettia indoors after its spring and summer sojourn in the flower bed, be sure to transfer it into a larger planter. Repotting keeps the plant from becoming root-bound.
Can you put poinsettias outside?
The time to plant poinsettias outside is late March, after the danger of frost has passed. Until then, keep the plants in a sunny window and water when the soil begins to feel dry. Plant them in a sunny, well-drained location protected from north winds and frost.
How often do poinsettias need to be watered?
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.
Does poinsettia come back every year?
Poinsettias can be kept year after year, and they will bloom each year if you give them proper care. When the leaves begin to yellow or when the plant is no longer desired as an ornamental, gradually withhold water. The bracts (colorful leaves just below the true flowers) will be the last to go.
Is poinsettia a houseplant?
Yes, you can keep your Christmas poinsettias as houseplants, and you can even get them to bloom again next year.
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 save a dying poinsettia?
How to Revive a Wilted Poinsettia Move the poinsettia to an area out of direct air currents or draughts. Whilst the poinsettia is wilted ensure that it is not in any direct light. Use a spray to mist the plant. Place the poinsettia in a basin of water for 10 minutes. Water your poinsettia more often.