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You are here: Home / Gardening / How to Keep Your Poinsettias Alive This Year

How to Keep Your Poinsettias Alive This Year

December 2, 2019 by Kristi 12 Comments

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how to care for poinsettia plants including how to transplant and rebloom poinsettias

The poinsettia plant is a perennial. Yes, they really are. The indoor plant you use to decorate during the holidays is actually a flowering shrub. Use these tips on how to keep your poinsettia plant alive this year to enjoy it year-round.

How to Keep Your Poinsettias Alive This Year- Learn how to properly care for your poinsettias so they continue to thrive long after the holiday season.

The signature plant of the Holiday season is beautiful red poinsettias. They start to appear on the market in late November and are still available for purchase through the first week of January. What I have found is that by the third week of December, most people have killed the beautiful plant and when no one is looking, sneak out to the garden store and buy another one. It happens every year, time and time again. I feel so bad for the plant… and always wonder why people have such a hard time with this plant.

Red is the most popular color but in recent years I have seen everything from speckled pink to blue ones. Not too many people know that the color of the poinsettia has an impact on the life of the plant when used as the typical houseplant during the Christmas season. Red is the most durable with white being the most finickiest with pink right in the middle. If you want a poinsettia to last for 6 weeks inside your home, go with red.

Learn some helpful hints on how to take care of your poinsettias so they will last a wee bit longer.

How to Keep Your Poinsettias Alive This Year

1. Poinsettias do not like to be watered from the top down. They prefer to be watered by being placed in a basin of water with at least 2″ of water in it. Let the plant soak the water up from the bottom for at least 2 hours. This is the best way to water the plant every 2-3 days depending on how dry your home is.

2. While the plant is soaking up water, this is the best time to remove any damaged leaves and debris on the soil level.

3. Make sure the soil is moist to the touch, but never allow it to become soggy or completely dry out. If the plant’s petals start to curl up, get that plant in water pronto.

4. Display the poinsettia in a bright part of your home, but NOT in direct sunlight. Don’t forget that the large leafy petals (not really leaves) are sensitive to burning, especially from a window.

5. Keep your poinsettia plants away from all heat sources, especially heat vents. The best temperature in your home for poinsettias is between 60-70 degrees. Poinsettias will not tolerate hot air blowing on them (so keep Aunt Edna away) as they start to wilt quickly from the result of heat exposure.

6. While the poinsettia is blooming – when the bracts are showing their color like red, pink, or white – do not give it fertilizer. This will stop the poinsettia from turning into the beautiful colors you enjoy. After it has stopped flowering, give your poinsettia indoor plant food once a month.

7. Poinsettias are only mildly poisonous – but the milky substance from their leaves can cause skin irritation. If you get this on you, wash your hands thoroughly right away. Keep your hands away from your face.

8. Want to make your Poinsettias sparkle? Spray a little glitter on the leaves. It is quite pretty!

 

This is how to keep your poinsettia plant alive this year. Use these gardening tips to care for poinsettias, including watering, feeding, and transplanting so they will live beyond the holidays and rebloom next Christmas.

Caring for Poinsettias after the Holidays

After blooming the poinsettias will enter a period of slow growth. The colorful bracts fade and the leaves drop. This is often when people toss them out. Instead, allow your plant a rest period. Water once a week and fertilize once a month.

Cut back the stems to half their length in April. When new growth begins to appear on your plant, it’s safe to resume a more normal watering schedule.

You can move your poinsettia plant outdoors when the nighttime temperatures stay above 55 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the night. Put your plant in an area that gets light, but avoid direct sunlight.

If your area gets cold in the fall and winter, you will want to keep it in a pot instead of transplanting to your flower garden.

Bring your poinsettias in when the temperature drops in the fall. Then follow the directions below for getting your poinsettia to rebloom.

How to Transplant a Poinsettia

If your poinsettia becomes root bound, you can repot it into a larger container. This is usually done during the summer months.

Choosing the Container

The new container must have enough holes to ensure adequate drainage.

Although you want to use a larger container, the new container should only be slightly larger. Choose a container that has a  diameter that is 2 inches larger than the previous container.

Choosing the Soil

Poinsettia plants need a loose, porous, and well-draining soil.

Choose a good quality premixed potting soil that has been pasteurized to kill any pathogens.

If you wish to make your own soil mixture, combine :

  • 3 parts sterilized soil
  • 2 parts organic matter such as sterile compost
  • 1 part perlite or vermiculite

Removing the Poinsettia

  1. Water the poinsettia root mass a day before you transplant it.
  2. 1 – 2 days after watering, remove the poinsettia from its current planter by turning it upside down while keeping one hand on the soil to hold the soil in place.
  3. If there are any diseased roots, cut them off with a clean, sharp knife.
  4. If the roots are in a tight mass, they should be gently loosened.

Repotting the Poinsettia

  1. Damp potting soil should be placed at the bottom of the larger container. The soil should be in a thick enough layer that the top of the poinsettia root mass will be about an inch below the lip of the container.
  2. Place the poinsettia in the container, then gently add damp potting soil into the space around the roots. If needed, add damp soil above the root mass. Then gently press the soil down.
  3. Water the plant thoroughly.

This is how to keep your poinsettia plant alive this year. Use these gardening tips to care for poinsettias, including watering, feeding, and transplanting so they will live beyond the holidays and rebloom next Christmas.

How to Get a Poinsettia to Rebloom

When fall temperatures begin to drop, bring any outdoor poinsettias inside.

From October 1 to December 1, your poinsettia plant requires a strict light/dark regimen to bloom. You must provide the plants with 13 to 16 hours of complete and uninterrupted darkness daily. At dusk, place your plant in a dark room (many people use a closet) or cover the plant with a box or paper bag. In the morning, move or uncover the plant to allow eight hours of indirect sunlight.

I hope these tips on how to keep your poinsettia alive this year help you care for your plant so you can see it rebloom next year.

More Winter Gardening Tips

8 Ways to Make Your Christmas Tree Last Longer

Tips for Growing an Indoor herb Garden

Winter Vegetable Gardening Guide for Mild Climates

Thanks to Kristi T. for sharing her tips on how to care for poinsettias.

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Comments

  1. Lynette Smith says

    December 20, 2021 at 5:59 pm

    My Poinsettia is beautiful but it is green. No red leaves.

    Reply
  2. Bev. says

    September 17, 2021 at 2:15 pm

    I planted my poinsettia outside, kept it in my garden all summer .done very well, I put in pot I’m going to put in darkness Oct. 1 for 16 hours in light for 8 hours.

    Reply
  3. Colleen Frazier says

    November 28, 2020 at 7:50 am

    My son in law got me a poinsettia and he transplanted as soon as he got home with it, he put it in a metel wash tub, So I won’t be able to water it correctly but is the washtub a safe container for it?

    Reply
    • Donna says

      May 27, 2023 at 7:29 am

      Mine are in pots and I didn’t know you are supposed to water from the bottom until reading this. They are huge and have done well watering from the top.

      Reply
  4. Elizabet says

    February 16, 2020 at 9:39 am

    My poinsettia is getting white things in its leaves and stems. What may I do? Thanks

    Reply
  5. Tracy says

    December 21, 2016 at 6:40 pm

    I have had my Poinsettia for 4 years. I don’t over water it . I keep it in the widow that faces south. I heard a long time ago put them in a dark room and cover them . I tried that, but it didn’t work. The leaves don’t just change color they grow out as red leaves. So I like looking for the start of the red leaf. ?

    Reply
  6. asma says

    January 31, 2015 at 5:26 am

    i kept it in direct sunlight and watered it but the leaves drooped …i read the details after the leaves drooped..now what to do ?

    Reply
  7. Jacqueline says

    December 23, 2014 at 8:01 am

    Thanks for the tips! I’ve never been able to keep my beautiful poinsettias longer than a couple weeks…now I know what to do!

    Reply
  8. Ruth says

    November 27, 2014 at 10:57 am

    Thank you for the info on poinsettias. I was always told that if you wanted to save them after Christmas
    that they needed a dark closet for a period of time???? Would appreciate any info about this. Ruth

    Reply
    • Carol says

      November 17, 2018 at 4:07 pm

      I’ve heard that too. I did that one year, then brought it out and replanted it. My husband decided to redo the flower garden, so dug it all up. Still don’t know if it would have lived 🙄

      Reply
  9. Jill says

    May 21, 2014 at 11:18 pm

    I have a large red poinsettia plant that I was given last November. It is now May & it is still beautiful & still blooming. I water it once a week & keep it in a indirect sunlit room. My problem is this. I think that it should be repotted as the pot is only about half full of soil but I’m afraid to touch it. Should I leave it alone or repot it & if I do repot it how do I do it & what do I use? Thank you

    Reply
  10. Jill says

    May 18, 2014 at 4:55 pm

    It’s May and my poinsettia is still looking great! I have never been able to keep one this long. The watering trick makes a big difference! Thanks!

    Reply

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On Premeditated Leftovers I share simple recipes made with whole foods, practical shopping tips, time saving techniques, and meal planning strategies. I also share tips for minimizing food waste, so more of the food that is purchased ends up on the table.

While volunteering as a budget counselor, I realized that food is the element of most people’s budgets where they have the greatest control. I set out to develop low-cost recipes from scratch to prove it’s possible to create delicious meals on a limited budget. Eating well while spending less is about more than just creating recipes using inexpensive ingredients; it’s about creatively combining ingredients so you don’t feel deprived and are inspired to stick to your budget.

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