Poinsettias are a classic, festive indoor plant to have in the house during the holidays. Most people enjoy them for a month or two while they bloom, then the plants begin to drop their leaves and they begin to look tattered and tired. At this point, most people chuck them in the garbage can.
It doesn’t have to be that way, though — there are are a couple of things you can do to keep your poinsettia happy throughout the rest of the year and perhaps even enjoy new blooms the next holiday season!
- Keep your poinsettia watered, but not overwatered. Before you water, check the soil. If it’s not dry, don’t water it.
- If you can, keep the air moist around your plant. Put your plant on a tray of pebbles, or regularly mist/spray your plant.
- Keep your plant in a cool (but not cold) area.
- Don’t worry too much about dropping leaves. These will be replaced with new leaves later! (Your plant is just molting. 😉
- Poinsettias like bright light. It’s common for us to put a pretty poinsettia in the interior of the house so it can be seen. After the holidays, though, you should try and move your poinsettia to a bright window with some sun.
- If you can, move your plant outside into a bright area or the greenhouse during the warmer months. I put mine in the greenhouse and they are very happy and usually get blossoms by November or December. Don’t forget to water them!
- Before you bring your plant back inside, be sure to check for bugs and use a pesticide if you find any evidence of them. Sticky scale, for example, is hard to get rid of if you bring it inside and share it with your other plants… yuck!
Hope that helps you get more life out of your pretty poinsettia and keep it looking good even after the holidays. Good luck!