Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
Care Instructions for Poinsettias
Care Instructions for Poinsettias. The poinsettia, native to Mexico, has become a traditional plant that can be seen in many homes around the winter holidays. If you give your poinsettia plant a bit of extra tender loving care, the poinsettia will stay pretty for several weeks, and sometimes several months. If you're dedicated and willing to put in...
The poinsettia, native to Mexico, has become a traditional plant that can be seen in many homes around the winter holidays. If you give your poinsettia plant a bit of extra tender loving care, the poinsettia will stay pretty for several weeks, and sometimes several months. If you're dedicated and willing to put in some extra time throughout the year, you may be able to induce your poinsettia to bloom for another Christmas.
Things You'll Need
Liquid fertilizer for indoor plants
Place your poinsettia where the plant will be exposed to six hours of bright, indirect sunlight per day. Don't place the plant too close to windows that will be hot during the day or cold at night.
Place the poinsettia in a moderately warm room with daytime temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Move the poinsettia into a cooler room at night, with temperatures about 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Touch the soil every day and water if the surface feels dry. If the poinsettia is wrapped in foil, poke a few holes in bottom of the foil so excess water can drain.
Fertilize the poinsettia every other week, using a good general-purpose liquid fertilizer. Read the fertilizer label to determine the application rate for blooming plants.
Decrease watering the poinsettia after April 1, then allow the soil to dry until it's slightly damp. Don't allow the plant to wilt. Place the poinsettia in a cool room with temperatures maintained at about 60 degrees until mid-May. Don't fertilize the plant during this time.
Cut the shoots down to about 4 inches and re-pot your poinsettia in a larger pot in mid-May. Use a container with a drainage hole. Fill the container with any commercial potting soil. Resume the plant's normal watering and fertilizing schedule.
Move the plant outdoors into a shaded spot in June, then bring it back indoors and place it in indirect, bright light in late August. Pinch the plant back before you bring it indoors, leaving only three or four leaves on each shoot. Continue to water and fertilize the plant.
Place the poinsettia in a dark room in early October and leave it until Thanksgiving. To force the poinsettia to bloom in time for Christmas, the room should be dark between early evening and 8 a.m. If necessary, cover the plant with a box or place the plant in a closet during the night. Continue to water and fertilize the plant as normal. Bring the plant out at Thanksgiving, and it should bloom by Christmas.
