Poinsettias Don’t Have to be Christmas Exclusive

3/30/2021 (Permalink)

If your family is like my family, you probably got a poinsettia or two around the Christmas Season to decorate your home with. They’re beautiful flowers and bring a nice pop of Christmas color to your home. But most don’t last much beyond the Christmas season. This isn’t because potted poinsettias don’t last long. With the right know-how of how to care for them, a poinsettia can last for years. And you can even get them to bloom new flowers around Christmas time every year so you don’t have to buy new ones. Home Beautiful.com has a how-to list about the best way to care for your poinsettia all year round;

• When bringing a poinsettia home, make sure to wrap it up in paper to protect it from draughts and cold temperatures
• Always remember that the plant's root bale should neither dry out nor be drenched
• If leaves are turning yellow or falling off, you're probably not watering it right
• Water your poinsettia plant when the soil is noticeably dry
• Mini poinsettias’ soil should be checked every day
• Poinsettias prefer room-temperature water
• Mini poinsettias should not be given more than one shot glass of water
• If in doubt, it’s better to keep poinsettias a little drier rather than too moist
• Poinsettias need warmth and light
• Try to place poinsettias in a sheltered spot
• Sufficient light is important for the plant to grow and thrive, and in the winter months, it is happy by a south-facing window
• To ensure it survives until next year, you will need to prune the poinsettia in April
• Repot in May and grow it in a cool and light place over summer
• In November, give it 12 hours of bright daylight followed by 12 hours of complete darkness to alert it to the shorter days of winter, which will encourage the red flowers to return

You don’t have to buy a new poinsettia every year to get that nice Christmas floral arrangement. With some time and effort, you can get several years of use out of a single poinsettia. That not only saves you money in the long run but also gives you experience in taking care of unique household plants. So give your poinsettia a chance this year and see what you can do with this Christmas plant.

Source: https://www.housebeautiful.com

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