How to Keep A Poinsettia Alive For Years

A poinsettia alive for years and turn it red again

More than 35 million poinsettias are purchased during the holidays each year.

This figure is almost a quarter of all tanks purchased each year. This is a lot of plants, especially when you consider that most of them will be thrown away.

Come on New Year's Day, are you ready to start your Poinsettia?

By January, most people will be finished with a potted twig and a layer of crunchy, faded leaves. These plants are almost always removed, but they do not have to be.

Poinsettias are actually very easy to care for after the holidays, and with a little extra effort next fall, you can enjoy their crimson leaves every December.

Read on to learn how to keep your poinsettia healthy and create new growth throughout the year. Plus, I’ll show you how to get that beautiful red again next Christmas.

Poinsettia 'Blooms'

The first thing we need to talk about is the part of the plant that turns red. We often refer to these red leaves as flowers and refer to them as flowers. The colorful leaves on the plant are actually called fructose and are not flowers.

As for the plants, the proxies are special leaves, different from other plants. They may be of a different shape or color; They may be larger or smaller than the other leaves. Fruits usually play a role in attracting pollen to the plant.

If you look at a poinsettia in the center of a fruit cluster, you can see real yellow and red flowers.

And they are small!

Colorful probes help to pollinate small flowers. But it is these stylized red leaves that make poinsettias so popular at Christmas.

Like most flowering plants, the poinsettia will fall into their attractive foliage after a while. This is completely normal. By the end of the holiday, your poinsettia may be without leaves. This is the time when most people grow their plants.

But wait, if you keep your Poinsettia alive for so long, you can keep it growing and create show-stopping foliage for years to come.

Post-Holiday Poinsettia Care

Your job after the holidays is much easier - water sparingly and let the plant idle until spring.

At the end of April, you should prune the plant to a height of 6 "again.

This is a good time to make your Poinsettia look more beautiful than the nursery pot it came from. Use a pot with quality, well-drained soil and a drain hole. Make sure the new pot is no larger than 2 "larger than the previous pot. For the rest of the spring and summer, you should continue to water your plant, allowing it to dry completely between waterings. However, do not let the plant wither and it will wither.

You should start fertilizing once a month after replanting the plant. Choose a good home plant fertilizer for all purposes.

Poinsettias from Mexico prefer 60-70 degrees F to be happy and healthy. Poinsettia should not be exposed to temperatures below 50 F; Keep this in mind if you choose to move your plants outside in hot weather.

Like their tropical friends, Christmas cactus and poinsettias work best in bright, indirect sunlight.

Like most houseplants, poinsettias prefer a moist environment. Use a pebble tray or a plant mister to give them extra moisture.

From mid to late summer, you should start to see new growth in your poinsettia. (Now is the perfect time to promote your Poinsettia!)

In their natural habitat, poinsettia products change color due to seasonal changes in Central America. However, we can recreate this environment at home.

Usually starting in September you should start this process eight weeks before you want the poinsettia to be colored.

At this point, stop fertilizing your plant. If you keep the plant outside, make sure to bring it inside long before the night temperature drops below 60. Having a Poinsettia every year is a fun winter garden project for evergreen thorns everywhere. Yours every year Poinsettia can be a little bigger and a little more impressive.

Yes, this requires a little effort, so this project may not be suitable for everyone, but you should give it a try at least once.

Another benefit of keeping your poinsettia alive beyond the holidays is that you can take cuttings from new growth in the spring and grow some brand new poinsettia plants. Check out Tracy's guide to spreading Poinsettia here - and find out why doing so is illegal.