6 Steps To Bring Your Poinsettia Into The New Year
Christmas is over, what now with my Poinsettia?
Every year, we bring home at least one red or white Poinsettia for the Holidays. But chances are your beautiful plant also withers as soon as the Holidays are over. With some upkeep and care, however, you can make last year’s Poinsettia the last you’ll ever buy!
Here’s what you need to do:
Take it outside
Poinsettias like good airflow and will do well outside when kept in a shady area. Wait until the last frost to put it outside.
Cut it back
By March it is time to give your Poinsettia a haircut. Cut back about 6 inches but be sure to leave at least 3 nodes (the place where the leaves join the stem).
Repot
This step is optional and only necessary if you notice a lot of growth. A good time repot is in May. Get a pot with good drainage that is about 1-2” larger than the old pot.
Pinch back the tips twice
In May and July, you want to pinch back the tips. The sap in Poinsettias is an irritant so make sure you use gloves or a pair of sheers for this step.
Pinching back the tips will promote more bushy growth, so we consider this step crucial if you want a full-plant coming Holiday season.
Bring it back inside
Early fall is a good time to bring your Poinsettia back inside. Choose a place that gets 4 to 6 hours of direct or dappled sunlight, daily.
Store it someplace dark
The final and most important step! Starting 10 weeks before Christmas, around the second week of October, your Poinsettia will need 14 hours of uninterrupted darkness every day. From 6 PM to 8 AM, cover it with a box or place it in a closet. The long periods of darkness will promote the bright red and white leaves that Poinsettias are known for.
And that’s how you get to enjoy your Poinsettia year after year! If you’d like to print out this information I recommend you check out our Poinsettia Care Guide. In there you’ll find the same info as well as tidbits on how to care for your Poinsettias over the Holiday season.
