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What To Do With Poinsettias

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.

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.

Can you keep poinsettias year round?

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. After all the leaves have fallen, store the plant, in its pot, in a cool (50 to 60°F), dry, dark area.

What do you do with a poinsettia after it dies?

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.

How do you take care of a poinsettia 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.

Can I plant a 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.

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 you do with poinsettias in the summer?

How to Care for Poinsettias Year-Round Step 1: Start with a Healthy Poinsettia Plant. Step 2: Move the Poinsettia to a Larger Container. Step 3: Keep Poinsettias in the Sun. Step 4: Water Poinsettias Correctly. Step 5: Prune Poinsettias. Step 6: Keep Poinsettias in the Dark. Step 7: Fertilize Poinsettias.

What is the life expectancy of a poinsettia plant?

“Home gardeners generally keep their poinsettias one or two years. If they’re really dedicated, maybe a little longer. But the life span for interior plants when you live in the North is measured in months, not years.”.

Do I need to cut back my poinsettia?

Poinsettias (both potted and in the ground) should be pruned twice a year, first in the spring and again in late summer. Remembering the “A” months is a helpful tip, April and August. For the first pruning in spring (April), remove all foliage and cut all branches back to 4-6″ of height.

Can you revive a wilted poinsettia?

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.

Can poinsettias be kept after Christmas?

Answer: If given good care in the home, poinsettias should remain attractive for 2 to 3 months. 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.

Why are the petals 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.

Can I put a potted 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. If you have any pots outdoors, make sure you bring them inside at the end of the summer before overnight temperatures fall below 60°F.

Can poinsettias be composted?

Don Wilkerson, Extension horticulturist and Earth-Kind advocate. “And the best way to get rid of a poinsettia is in a sustainable manner by tossing it on a compost pile rather than in the trash.

Can you replant Christmas poinsettias outside?

Don’t transplant poinsettia plants outdoors right after Christmas. Once all of the leaves have died back, prune the bushes back to two buds and keep it in a bright location. You can start planting poinsettia outdoors after all chance of frost has passed.

Do poinsettias like sun or shade?

Light: Place your poinsettias in an area where they’ll receive a minimum of six hours of bright (but not direct) sunlight each day. Temperature: These plants prefer temperatures from 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and from 60 to 65 degrees at night.

Are poinsettias annuals or perennials?

Poinsettia Myth #2: Poinsettias are annuals We typically only enjoy poinsettias during the holidays, but they are actually perennial plants. Native to Mexico, they can grow outside year-round in USDA growing regions 9 to 11.