Baltimore’s Druid Hill Conservatory hosts an annual poinsettia show, with some plants offered for sale. How to grow; Common problems; Share . Keep your poinsettias away from drafts and chilly air. Poinsettias will never be recognized as edible plants, but nor are they the toxic nemeses many pet owners make them out to be. It is not! If you plan to or already have planted outdoor Poinsettias, the beauty of these plants will continue to amaze you every winter season! Poinsettia plants grow best during the winter months, which is why they are the most popular potted plant during the holidays. Well, that may work in the plant’s native Mexico, or in other tropical countries where it grows outdoors, but it won’t work in the average home. A red poinsettia in a foil-wrapped container is still the norm at grocery stores and garden centers in December, but plant-savvy shoppers gravitate toward innovative combos that feature their favorite holiday flower. We have even included tips on how to re-bloom your poinsettia once the holiday season has passed. To keep the poinsettia in bloom as long as possible, maintain a temperature of 65 to 75 F during the day. Here, you can tap into the research and testing efforts of three universities and five breeders to discover the best poinsettia varieties for decorating and gift-giving. Try to keep the temperature around 70°F (21°C), and make sure it never gets colder than 50°F (10°C) since it's leaves could fall off if it gets too cold. She aspires to help others create a happy organized home, and a cozy living space and shares easy recipes, DIYs, and home improvements for busy families. Poinsettias grow best in well-lit areas, but direct sun or hot lights can dry out the plants. Can you imagine growing a poinsettia specimen like this one in your garden? Once the excess moisture has finished draining from the soil, pour out the water that is standing in the tray or saucer beneath … Temperature: These plants prefer temperatures from 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and from 60 to 65 degrees at night. When spring arrives, you can move your plant to the great outdoors. But first, we’ll share some basic facts about poinsettias. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. To keep this festive Christmas houseplant thriving for as long as possible, and even have around for next Christmas, follow the below tips for caring and extending the lifespan of your poinsettia. Then give it a spot in full sun with good drainage where the soil has been amended with organic … Once the blooms have faded, begin by cutting the foliage and stems back to around 4″ above the soil surface. Care. Do NOT fertilize your poinsettia while it is blooming. Watering and feeding: A lot of people think that growing Poinsettias is difficult. Once the top inch of the soil is dry, it’s time to provide the plant with some more water. Here’s what you need to know to grow and care for your holiday poinsettia throughout the year. If there is yellow pollen covering the flowers and/or bracts, the plant will not be holding it’s bloom much longer. Don’t transplant poinsettia plants outdoors right after Christmas. For a poinsettia to bloom, the nights have to be longer than the days. This is often a sign of insufficient light. Poinsettia plants need 14 hours of darkness per … With proper care, your poinsettias may stay colorful for many months. Exercise Caution With Poinsettias and Pets, 7 Indoor Plants That Are Dangerous to Children & Pets, Top 12 Flowering Houseplants to Add Color to Your Home, 4 Genera of Bromeliad Plants for Growing Indoors, 12 Ways to Get Cheap or Free Garden Plants, 5 Facts About Poinsettias That May Surprise You, Hardy Chrysanthemum (Garden Mum) Plant Profile. Check the flowers to be sure they are green or red-tipped. First, be sure you choose a plant with small, tightly clustered yellow buds in the center. The flower clusters in the center of the bracts should have little or no pollen showing to guarantee the longest lasting flowers. Water thoroughly but wait until the compost is quite dry before watering again. Introduce your poinsettia to outdoor conditions gradually. To keep the plant in good condition do not let temperatures fall below 13°C (55°F). Brides planning a winter wedding should explore using poinsettias in their flower arrangements. Once home, unwrap your poinsettia and place in indirect … Poinsettias are drought tolerant plants that pair well with succulents for an on-trend look. Taking care of your poinsettia With proper care, your poinsettia will last through the holiday season and right into late winter. Poinsettia Plant Care Troubleshooting. How to Make a Simple but Adorable Farmhouse Christmas Tray, How To Style a Fun Christmas Lodge Style Mantel, The How-To Home Printables Resource Library, You and Me – Sweet and Simple Heart Pillow. Thanks a lot." Dropping the temperature to about 60 F at night will not hurt the plant. If possible, move your poinsettia to a cooler place at night. Post Holiday Care – Keeping Poinsettia Plants Alive. Ill.: pngfind.com, montage: laidbackgardener.blog . They also don't like drafts. But if you'd like to try, here are a few tips. Natural poinsettias in every shade of red, white, pink and salmon are available, while the marbled varieties add zest to holiday arrangements. I had a client call me one September day and asked if it was time to bring her poinsettia into the light. Growers use an exacting process of light and darkness control to trigger bracts to color up, so what you see at the garden center is what you get. 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. After cutting back, new growth and leaves will begin to form in late winter. You can, if you live in a frost-free climate. Check the soil daily and water when it is dry. There is also a species that is used as a cut flower. Posted by Mary Beth | Blog, Christmas, Gardening, Holidays, Instagram, Natural Living | 0. Poinsettias prefer daytime temperatures of between 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit and around 55 degrees Fahrenheit at night. Once all of the leaves have died back, prune the … Oh yes and by the way, she mentioned the plant had been stored in the closet for the past nine months. Poinsettia displays in the shape of a tree are common in public areas around the holidays, but can you replicate this idea on a smaller scale in your home? In tropical areas, the poinsettia plant becomes a woody perennial that can grow up to 10 feet tall. Proper care of a poinsettia will increase its longevity and stimulate blooming for multiple years. Poinsettias are not poisonous, but the sap may cause dermatitis. And, with good care … Stems of an outdoor plant, southern California (left photo). In spring, return the plant to a sunny area and water well. Poinsettia Care After the Holidays. Why did Congress mark December 12 to honor this flower? Rather, it is one of those plants that you need to grow outdoors and when the weather is no longer attractive for its growth, you need to re-pot the plant and at such time, you have to grow it indoors. I usually try to wait until closer to Christmas so that it will stay alive and look vibrant throughout the holidays but this year, I purchased the one above for only $3.49 at Aldi and that’s the only reason I bought one so early…..because it was only $3.49. In fact, a research study at Ohio State University found no evidence that any part of the poinsettia plant is toxic to humans or animals. Water poinsettia plants regularly to keep the soil moist but not wet. Gardeners who can’t get enough poinsettia eye candy from their local florists and nurseries should consider seeking out a regional poinsettia show. How to Care for Your Poinsettia. By Kathleen Cue, Nebraska Extension Horticulture Educator . Mary Beth is a wife, mother to three sons, and a clean freak. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. If your home is dry during the winter months, a humidifier or plant mister can help your plant stay hydrated. How to Grow and Care for Poinsettia Plants in the Garden. It may also be a good idea to repot the poinsettia using the same type of soil. Choose bracts that are completely colored. Bracts are the leaves of poinsettia that change color depending on light exposure. Why is this important to the consumer? For example, set it near a sunny window facing east or west. Place it somewhere where it will receive at least 6 hours of light daily and keep it away from anything cold, like a window or window sill. They need a bright place out of direct sunlight that is not too warm (around 64°F/17°C is ideal). Look for a spot in your garden with plenty of morning sun but more shade in the afternoon. How to care for a poinsettia – tips for keeping your poinsettia alive and thriving throughout the holidays. I like to look straight down on mine to make sure it’s bursting with lush bracts. Keep the plant away from locations where it will receive hot or cold draughts. How To Care for a Poinsettia. Plant them in full sun, and keep the soil consistently moist. Taking Care of Poinsettias. Gardeners who can’t get enough poinsettia eye candy from their local florists and nurseries should consider seeking out a regional poinsettia show. She has years of experience in caring for flowers and plants. The showy bracts of poinsettias are what consumers look for in poinsettias, not the flowers. Florists use special nontoxic dyes and an ethanol-based solvent that won’t harm the bracts to create these rainbow alternatives. As a rule of thumb, the poinsettia should be 2 1/2 times taller than the diameter of the container. There's also no guarantee that your poinsettia will bloom again next December, even with year-round care. Plants can be planted into the ground, but you will need to dig them back up in late summer. You can buy poinsettia tree racks in full round or half round shapes starting at three feet tall for your entryway or living room. Perhaps after the long-sought after blue rose, the second most desired blue flower is the poinsettia. 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. Once you choose your poinsettia, make sure that it is sleeved especially if outdoor temperatures are below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Avoid plants that are displayed in drafty areas. It is most likely to be a problem if you purchase a young plant early in the season. Bracts Are Small And Pale. Once home, unwrap your poinsettia and place in indirect sunlight. Place your poinsettia in an area that is draft free, i.e., not near doors, windows, heater vents, air registers, etc. Choose a plant with dark green foliage throughout. Check the moisture level of the soil where your poinsettia is growing each day. Full sun to part shade. When I purchased mine, it was already covered with a clear plastic sleeve which I did gently pull down to check my plant before pulling it back up and purchasing. When I purchased mine, it was already covered with a clear plastic sleeve which I did gently pull down to check my plant before pulling it back up and purchasing. With some tender loving care, your poinsettia should last 6 to 8 weeks. Be careful when transporting poinsettias from the shop to your home in the winter, as the cold outdoor temperatures can damage the foliage. Play close attention to the following tips: Place in a room where there is bright natural light but not where the sun will shine directly on the plant. This video will show you how to look after your Poinsettia after its finished flowering and how to prune the plant. Let the water drain into a saucer and discard. When you are growing poinsettia plants outside, choose a spot with slightly acidic, well-draining soil. Baltimore’s Druid Hill Conservatory hosts an annual poinsettia show, with some plants offered for sale. If the plants receive 14 hours of total darkness each night for at least six weeks, you may get your plant to rebloom. Don’t be alarmed, the plant may look quite pathetic at this point, but it will come back! Live poinsettias accented with cut evergreen branches and natural or white painted birch branches complement a winter motif. Place in a well lit location. Almost every year for Christmas I buy a poinsettia for the holidays. If you aren’t sure which poinsettia varieties to buy to fill up your rack, consult the National Poinsettia Cultivar Trials. It all sounds wonderfully simple: as days get shorter, your poinsettia will simply bloom all on its own. That is the anniversary of the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico who introduced the poinsettia to the United States in 1825. Maybe a room with the heater vent turned off or turned low or a basement. The bracts are what we consider the petals, the showy part of the plant and in the case of the one above, the red. Poinsettia Outdoor Care. Water as needed to keep the plant healthy, and water in fertilizer when you see new growth appear on the plant. If you needed an excuse to legitimize your excessive poinsettia purchases, mark your calendar for December 12, which is National Poinsettia Day. You can find these, and other exotic hues amongst the poinsettia offerings this year, but the colors aren’t nature-made. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board, red poinsettia in a foil-wrapped container. If you've ever seen a leggy poinsettia in bloom, with only a couple of sad looking … Poinsettias can retain their color until March if they are not exposed to freezing temperatures. You don’t want a leggy poinsettia. Just follow these simple rules: Light: Place your poinsettias in an area where they'll receive a minimum of six hours of bright (but not direct) sunlight each day. Consider using some of the new marbled varieties for a contemporary twist on this classic holiday bloom. Poinsettia care outdoors is minimal during warm weather. Native to Mexico, poinsettias are in the Euphorbia family and are a popular holiday plant because of their colorful bracts (leaves). The poinsettia should look full and healthy from all sides. After your poinsettia drops its leaves, cut the stems back to 4 to 6 inches high and let it go somewhat dry between waterings. They can be grown outdoors during summer. Be sure it drains well to avoid root rot . Look for crisp, brightly colored, undamaged bracts (leaves). With their bright red leaves and association with the Christmas season, poinsettia plants end up in most people’s homes during the holidays. Poinsettia is a native of Mexico, so it is likely that because of our reduced light levels in this country your plant will get some yellowing and leaf fall. Poinsettia Plant Care. It’s usually best to start with a few hours in the early morning, then increase its exposure by an hour or two every day until it’s able to withstand an entire afternoon. They need a minimum temperature of 13-15°C (55-59°F). With this, one of the basic requirements is a healthy outdoor poinsettia. Poinsettia. POINSETTIA CARE TIPS. Make sure to water the poinsettia whenever the surface of the soil feels dry. While poinsettias can be kept indoors throughout summer, many people choose to move them outdoors in a sunny, but protected, area of the flower … Poinsettia is not the type of plant that you have to propagate from seeds as you start growing it indoors. No yellow, dry, or drooping leaves. Jamie has written about gardening and special occasion flowers since 2011. You're awesome for doing it! The potted plants are inexpensive choices for the wedding ceremony and reception, but florists can also include cut poinsettias in the bridal bouquet and bridesmaids’ bouquets. The natural latex present in poinsettia sap may cause irritation to a pet’s mouth, but consumption of the leaves won’t cause anything more than a mild tummy ache. Although red poinsettias continue to be the top sellers in December, novelty poinsettias offer decorators a wide palette to complement any home interior. Do not allow the plant to wilt because of lack of water. Cut back all canes (branches) to about 6 inches from the pot’s rim. Spring And Summer Poinsettia Care. Fertilize the plants monthly with a balanced flower fertilizer during the growing season. Help spread the word. Keep watering the plant until the moisture drips from the drainage holes in the bottom of its container. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. They are available in the deep reds, to bright and pale pinks to whites and are available most of the year. Poinsettias need bright, but filtered light, away from strong sun and draughts. But, that being said, over the years I have learned some tips for keeping my poinsettias beautiful all the way through the New Year and in years past, I have kept them alive for several years in a row. Midwesterners can check out Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha, which puts on a family-friendly poinsettia show featuring more than 5,000 poinsettia plants, model trains, and live holiday music. My basement is usually 10 degrees cooler at night than the upper level of my house so this is a good choice for me. Empty the saucer so the roots don’t stand in water. Poinsettia care is easy throughout the holidays. The mistake a lot of people make is that they over-water their plants! Poinsettia Facts . Dwarf poinsettia varieties tucked into a giant hurricane glass terrarium with mosses and driftwood are gift-worthy plantings. Once you choose your poinsettia, make sure that it is sleeved especially if outdoor temperatures are below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Right photo is a close up of an outdoor bract (red leaves) and the yellow-gold flowers in the center (photo by careyjane) There are over 100 varieties today of Poinsettia, most red with various leaf shape, size and number, as well as yellow to white and pink varieties. To care for a poinsettia, first, choose a spot where your poinsettia can get 6 hours of indirect sunlight each day. Wait until the outdoor temperatures at night are consistently 55 degrees F or above before you transplant it into the garden. An important part of Poinsettia care is the spot you choose for your plants. Often used as a table decoration or gift at Christmas, Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are a great feature in the garden or as a potted plant as well. Outdoor plant at the Huntington Gardens in January. Euphorbia pulcherrima "My grandparents have received several poinsettias this Christmas season and my grandfather was wondering if he could replant them in his yard and enjoy them for years to come and if he could, what should he do to ensure that he gets the prettiest blooms next year. These should be vibrant and healthy. Share this article on social media. That is why we have created a poinsettia care guide for those that want to decorate their homes this holiday season. If the plant you purchase doesn't have an abundance of showy flowers, don't expect them to emerge once you get the plant on your windowsill. Remove the bottom foil or wrapping to prevent water from pooling at the bottom of the container because this will promote root rot.