The poinsettia is considered the Christmas Holiday plant and is generally purchased in full bloom at this time of the year. What is the best care for poinsettia plants so they survive the Holiday Season? How long can you expect the plants to last? Can poinsettia plants ever be planted in the garden or are they just seasonal plants for the Holidays? Like many tropical plants poinsettias can be grown successfully indoors when properly tested and proven guidelines are followed.

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2.  The poinsettia is considered the Christmas
Holiday plant and is generally purchased in full
bloom at this time of the year.

3.  What is the best care for the poinsettia plant so it
will survive the Holiday Season?
 How long can I expect the plant to last?
 Can it ever be planted in the garden or is it just a
seasonal plant for the Holidays?

4.  Initial Care of your newly purchased Plant....
 When purchasing poinsettia
plants make sure the plant is
wrapped properly to protect it
from cold temperatures
during the trip home.

5.  Place your poinsettia plant near a sunny window.
 Maintain a temperature above 65 degrees F.
 Mist the plant daily with lukewarm water.

6.  To avoid spots on the leaves from misting use
distilled water.
 Water the plant when the surface is dry to the
touch.
 Water thoroughly until the water completely drains
into the saucer.
 Make sure to empty the saucer of drained water.
 Keep the plant away from all drafty areas, hot or
cold air.

7.  Poinsettia Care after the Holidays....
 January to March – Keep watering when the
surface is dry and misting the plant several times
a day if humidity in your home is low. Poinsettias
love the humidity the misting creates.

8.  April – Gradually decrease watering allowing the
poinsettia plant to get dry between watering. But
be careful that the plant does not shrivel.
 Discontinue misting during this period. After your
poinsettia is used to this dryness, move it to a
cool basement or any place where the
temperature is about 60 degrees F for a period of
about four weeks.

9.  May – Cut the plant back to about 4-5 inches
above the soil level, repot into the next size
container and sprinkle one tablespoon of bone
meal over the roots.
 At this time you may also add some slow release
fertilizer, like 14-14-14, or 19-6-12 for faster
growth.
 Water the newly transplanted plant with
Superthrive or any transplant solution which
contains Vitamin B1.

10.  Now it’s time to place your poinsettia plant in a
sunny window where the temperature is above 65
degrees F.
 Mist the plant daily and water when the surface is
dry.
 If you haven’t added a slow release fertilizer while
transplanting, start fertilizing with an all purpose
fertilizer every two weeks as soon as new growth
appears.

11.  June – Move your plant outside into a partial
sunny location and continue to water and fertilize
it.

12.  July – At the beginning of the month cut back
each stem about an inch.
 This will encourage your poinsettia to branch
resulting in a bushy plant.
 If you don’t pinch it back, your poinsettia grows
tall without side branches.

13.  August – By now
your plant should
have branched well
and it’s time to cut it
back one more time
so each shoot has
has about four
leaves left.
 At this time continue with your fertilizing,
misting and watering schedule.

14.  September – Continue to fertilize, misting, and
water and make sure the temperature stays
above 65 degrees F.

15.  October – As your poinsettia needs short days in
order to set buds, you have to provide it with twelve
hours of total darkness starting the first day of
October.
 Give the plant darkness from about 5 pm to 8 am
every day during this period.
 Without these additional hours of darkness poinsettias
won’t set buds and the leaves remain green.
 Place a box or black plastic bag over the poinsettia
plant making sure no light reaches the plant. During
daytime move the plant to a sunny window and
continue to fertilize, misting and watering.

16.  November – At the end of
the month discontinue the
darkness treatment and
leave the plant in its sunny
window.
 At this time you should be
able to see flower buds.

17.  December – Discontinue fertilizing about the
middle of the month.
 Continue watering and
misting and treat your
poinsettia plant just like
you did after you bought
it.
 At this time your poinsettia should be blooming
again.

18.  Like many tropical plants poinsettias can be
grown successfully indoors when properly tested
and proven guidelines are followed. One can
enjoy poinsettia plants for months until it is time to
bring out the Easter Lily.
 Copyright @ Bob Walsh
 www.BobWalshPlumeriaCare101.com
 www.HowToGrowPlumeriaFrangipani.com