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How to Care for Poinsettia House Plants
How to Care for Poinsettia House Plants. A succulent plant originally from Mexico and Central America, poinsettias are shrubs that can grow 10 feet high, though they are often treated as a seasonal and disposable house plants. However, they can be successfully grown indoors for many years. There are modern cultivars with pink and white bracts as...
A succulent plant originally from Mexico and Central America, poinsettias are shrubs that can grow 10 feet high, though they are often treated as a seasonal and disposable house plants. However, they can be successfully grown indoors for many years. There are modern cultivars with pink and white bracts as well as the original red variety. Proper care of poinsettia house plants will keep them vibrant for several years.
Things You'll Need
Houseplant fertilizer
Pot
Step 1
Place your poinsettia plant in a bright spot in the home where it receives several hours of indirect sunlight every day. It will thrive at a temperature of between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit and will suffer at temperatures lower than 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Avoid direct sunshine as well as cold droughts and hot air from heaters. Rotate the plant every week to make sure it receives light evenly.
Step 2
Water your poinsettia sparingly when the surface of the soil is dry; never leave it standing in water as it is a succulent species and very vulnerable to root rot. It is better to water poinsettias little and often than to give them an occasional soaking.
Step 3
Cut back your poinsettia in March or April after it has finished flowering. Cut through all stems about 8 inches above the soil line and place the plant in the warmest and brightest available spot in the home or outdoors once nighttime temperatures are higher than 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Consider pruning the plant again in June or July to encourage further bushy growth, but do not prune after the end of July.
Step 4
Fertilize your plant only after it has finished flowering and has been pruned. Use a liquid fertilizer formulated for houseplants every two weeks until flowering begins again the next year and then stop fertilizing during the flowering period.
Step 5
Repot if your plant becomes top-heavy or is growing too large for its current container. Choose a pot only one size larger and take care not to disturb the plant's root ball during transplantation. Use standard houseplant compost with 30 percent sand as a potting medium.
Step 6
Place the plant in a dark closet at night and on a bright windowsill during the day during October, November and early December to encourage blooming. Do not allow the plant to be exposed to any form of artificial light at night during this period or its flowers and bracts will stop developing.
