Poinsettia is the choice flower for most people during Christmas time. This beautiful flower blooms during the holidays with its bright red, crimson petals. Unfortunately though, most people throw out their poinsettia after Christmas, but with a little care and know how, you can save your poinsettia and get it to bloom again next Christmas! If you want to save your poinsettia for next season, keep reading to learn how to care for poinsettia flowers!
How to Care for Poinsettia Flowers
Temperature & Light:
Poinsettias are tropical flowers, so the most important thing you can do is keep them warm. Never leave them in a place where the temperature dips below 55F (13C).
Avoid keeping your poinsettias on a windowsill as these places can be a little colder than the rest of the house. Place your poinsettia in a bright, indirect sunlight location.
Humidity & Water:
Poinsettias love a humid space and there are a few ways you can go about keeping them nice and humid. If you choose to use a spray, be sure to avoid the foliage when spraying. Another way to keep the plant humid is the fill a tray with pebbles, add some water, and place the potted poinsettia on top of the tray.
Only water your poinsettia once the soil starts to dry out. Never let it sit in water, and be sure that it's planted in well draining soil. If your poinsettia begins to turn yellow and/or wilt, it could mean that there has been over or under watering.
Care for Poinsettia After Blooming:
After your poinsettia has bloomed at Christmas time, it's time to take good care of it so that it may re-bloom again next season!
After Christmas, encourage the plant to become dormant by letting the soil dry out. The leaves will wilt and fall off. Store your poinsettia in a cool, dark place and keep the soil just slightly moist until spring.
In the spring, prune the poinsettia back to around 4-6 inches (10-15cm) in height. Keep the plant in a warm place and start watering once growth starts again.
Repot the plant in the summer and care for it like you would any other houseplant. Keep it in a light and cool place in the summer and fertilize every 2 weeks.
Around mid-September (or 8 weeks before you want your plant to start blooming), the plant will need to be tricked into thinking that the days are getting shorter. This is because that's the time when this plant will bloom! Do this by placing the plant in a dark place for 12 hours a day.
For the other 12 hours, keep the plant in a humid and bright environment. Keep doing this for about 8 weeks, and eventually your poinsettia will start to bloom again!
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