Poinsettia Plants

Poinsettia Plants

Poinsettia Plants

Christmas has come and gone, and your poinsettia plants and flowers have reached their zenith and flowering glory decorating your tables and living room spaces. And now a few weeks into and past their prime, you might be wondering what to do with your poinsettia plants. Most of them get the boot and end up in the waste patch or out on the street. You can however, with a little care, keep your plant and prepare it for the next winter holiday season.

How you ask?

Gardener Michael McGroarty has some great tips as to how to extend the life of your poinsettias.

  • Keep your plant in a non-drafty area of your home, and water only when the soil is dry. They do not like to be waterlogged.
  • After your plant has completed flowering, you may fertilize it twice a month until the spring.
  • Cut your plant back to about four inches in April; new growth typically appears in May.
  • When it is warmer outside, you can keep your poinsettia outdoors. Transplant into a slightly bigger pot with well-draining potting soil, and place in bright indirect light. Continue to fertilize twice a month through the summer until mid-December. Prune back new stems so three to four leaves remain on each stem in late June, early July and mid August.
  • Through October, November and December keep the plant in a dark place for 14 hours each night, and 6 to 8 hours of bright sunlight everyday. It is recommended to keep this up for 8 to 10 weeks until the plant flowers in mid-December.

Here’s to trusting your hard work and tender loving patience and care will draw flowers on your poinsettias once again for winter festivities next year.

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