This is my second Christmas with my poinsettia, which was originally a gift, set in an arrangement with a small conifer and another plant...Read More. After Christmas last year, I kept it in a northern window, but it outgrew its container, becoming a lush dark green, so I transplanted it into a larger container. As it's very fragile, some of the branches broke off during the transition, but it bounced back. It's now in a west window, about two feet tall and the brackets are blooming very well. Hopefully, it will continue to flourish as it makes an attractive, green houseplant during the rest of the year.
As these beauties begin flowering, root rot can cause sudden death. It is very difficult to prevent this without drenching them, prevent...Read Moreatively, with costly fungicides which are often labeled as restricted chemicals.
Keeping these spurges evenly moist during flowering can help, but this doesn't always work. Some varieties are more susceptible than others.
My advice is to enjoy poinsettias during the holidays, then toss them after the flowers are shot.
this plant can grow in the cold climate of colorado springs but must be sheltered in a house before the cold days in fall return. ...Read More
I dont know why people throw hundreds of these away a year. with a little care and attention it can be a long lived perennial and can happily live in a twelve gollon bucket or or bag for quite awhile
this marvelous plant is already coming out of dormancy after a good months rest
Hello - I was given a poinsettia as a gift between Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2007. I've never purchased a plant before and never str...Read Moreived to take care of one. It was my understanding that poinsettias normally "bloom" with red leaves during and around Christmas time and die shortly thereafter. It's now August 5th 2008 and my poinsettia is still around and kicking (which I now understand from reading this site isn't abnormal) however it still has many red leaves. I'd say at least 80% of the leaves or "bracts" are still a vibrant red and the green leaves seem very healthy. Very few leaves/bracts have shriveled and fallen off over the past 9 months or so and there is new growth near the soil line. Is this normal?
I've had one potted inside and kept as a houseplant. I managed to keep it for about one year and a half, than it "melted" away.
Th...Read Moree second one, however, I kept outside at all times. It thrived, and now it's a lovely 3 year old bush. Though I didn't manage to make her develop red bracts or flowers, it is a lovely plant to have, the green leaves are beautiful.
It doesn't like wet feet, but do not let the soil dry out completely either. My plant is in full sun from late morning till early afternoon, and bright shade afterwards.
This plant loves air circulating, so please resist the temptation to keep it in the shiny colorful foil it's usual sold in! Also, that foil keeps too much moisture around the roots, favoring rot, so just remove it as fast as you can! It is the first rule of thumb if you want to try to keep it more than just for Christmas.
For colder zones, it is said that cold air (freezing temperatures) can damage leaves in a very short time, like taking it from the shop to your home.
Those of us living in the frigid north, where there is no hope of planting a poinsettia outside, often throw them away by February. Ther...Read Moree is no reason for doing this! I have rescued a couple poinsettias from the trash, and found cultivating them rewarding. One has rebloomed for me this year (I didn't do anything to force the blooms -- I simply live in a basement apartment where it gets enough darkness, apparently), and is absolutely stunning because it is now much larger than the kind typically found foil-wrapped in grocery stores.
If you don't like the large size, it is easy to take cuttings: I accidentally knocked off one of the branches, repotted it, and now have a new small shapely plant.
Bradenton, FL (Zone 9b) | December 2005 | positive
I received my poinsettia for Thanksgiving 2003 in a 6" pot. Since we now live in Southwest Florida , I was able to keep it healthy all wi...Read Morenter (I have killed all others received in years past) and moved it outside onto the lanai in Spring '04. I repotted it this past July after one of the hurricanes (sorry lose track of which one did what when) knocked it over and broke off a few branches. It is a very forgiving plant as I did not water as frequently as I should've - at times only watering when the leaves were drooping. Last Christmas it did not give me any color but did bloom in April 05. This December it is blooming and very beautiful. I have done nothing special to get it to bloom except fertilize it once a month. My intent is to plant it outside in the near future.
I now have 4 poinsettias that I have growing in pots. After their Christmas bloom, I cut them back about half. Then I place them facing...Read More east and continue to water, feed and pinch back to keep them short and fuller. The bracts are not large but quite pretty. Beginning October 1, I cover them at night so that they are in total darkness. I wonder about this because of the huge poinsettia fields nearby to Escondido, CA where I live. I think it is time to repot them in larger containers, but they seem quite healthy.
Garden City, MI (Zone 6b) | October 2003 | positive
Such interesting experiences. I'm in Michigan. We got a very nice plant for Christmas and I don't discard a plant until it is stone-col...Read Mored-dead. Anyway, it thrived in our living room and began to grow,what to do? We rearranged the furniture-with 5 kids and 2 cats-this wasn't easy. We finally settled on where to put it, it continued to grow and reached the ceiling and branched to about 5 ft. wide. WOW! Spring came just in time, it was difficult getting it outdoors but we did it. It stayed nice all summer but when frost time came, we had to tell it goodbye. We loved the experience.
San Diego, CA (Zone 10a) | September 2003 | positive
After Christmas 2002 my neighbor was going to throw out her 8" high in a 6" pot Poinsettia, I ask if i could have it. Well after taking c...Read Moreare of this beautiful plant for 10 months and its now in a 16" pot and its grown to a whopping 36" high plant which now seems not so large.
My only concern is when Christmas rolls around this year is someone my take my plant, and we have become very attracted to each other. I have found that in San Diego it needs about 64 ounces of water every other day to stay heathly and full sun. I will post some pics soon.
Most people don't keep this plant after Christmas, but I have seen some growing outdoors in my area. They they need some support or staki...Read Moreng. They can climb up the side of a house.
I have heard stories about things like you have to keep them in total darkness or they won't rebloom, but if the ones planted outdoors bloom, then those stories can't be true. They come in a number of new and exciting colors, as well, as the red.
This is my second Christmas with my poinsettia, which was originally a gift, set in an arrangement with a small conifer and another plant...Read More
As these beauties begin flowering, root rot can cause sudden death. It is very difficult to prevent this without drenching them, prevent...Read More
this plant can grow in the cold climate of colorado springs but must be sheltered in a house before the cold days in fall return.
...Read More
Hello - I was given a poinsettia as a gift between Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2007. I've never purchased a plant before and never str...Read More
I've had one potted inside and kept as a houseplant. I managed to keep it for about one year and a half, than it "melted" away.
Th...Read More
Those of us living in the frigid north, where there is no hope of planting a poinsettia outside, often throw them away by February. Ther...Read More
Okay then, I'm going to plant the one I just got a as a gift outside and see how it does in the hot Los Angeles summer!
I received my poinsettia for Thanksgiving 2003 in a 6" pot. Since we now live in Southwest Florida , I was able to keep it healthy all wi...Read More
I now have 4 poinsettias that I have growing in pots. After their Christmas bloom, I cut them back about half. Then I place them facing...Read More
Such interesting experiences. I'm in Michigan. We got a very nice plant for Christmas and I don't discard a plant until it is stone-col...Read More
After Christmas 2002 my neighbor was going to throw out her 8" high in a 6" pot Poinsettia, I ask if i could have it. Well after taking c...Read More
Most people don't keep this plant after Christmas, but I have seen some growing outdoors in my area. They they need some support or staki...Read More