How to Select and Care for the Beautiful Christmas Plant, Poinsettia

I wrote about the Poinsettia on the last posting and decided to continue writing on how to select and care for your Poinsettia. The Poinsettia, a traditional Christmas plant, will last through the Christmas holidays and beyond.

The amount of time your poinsettia will last depends on the maturity of the plant, when the plants is purchased and how you treat the plant. With proper care, poinsettias should remain beautiful for weeks and some varieties will stay beautiful for months. Here are ways to purchase and to care for your poinsettia.

How to choose a Poinsettia

Select poinsettia with the following:
• Dark green foliage to the soil line.
• Bracts (modified leaves) that are completely colored.
• Fullness, balanced and attractive from all sides.
• Size of plant should be 2 1/2 times taller than the diameter of the container.
• Check for the true flowers located at the base of the colored bracts. Flowers that are green or red-tipped and fresh looking will last longer rather than yellow pollen covering the flowers.

But not the following:
• Many green around the bract edges.
• Fallen or yellowed leaves drooping or wilting.
• Plants wrapped with paper or plastic sleeves. Plants held in sleeves will not last too long.
• Plants being are displayed are crowded or too close together. Crowding can cause the bracts to drop.
• Check the plant’s soil. If it is wet and the plant is wilted, this could be an indication of root rot
How to care for your Poinsettia
• Do not exposure your plant to low temperatures even for a few minutes can damage the bracts and leaves.
• Place in indirect light, ideally six hours of daily.
• Keep away and from touching cold windows.
• Keep away from warm/cold drafts from radiators, air registers, open doors and windows.
• Prefers daytime temperatures of 60 to 70°F and night time temperatures around 55°F.
• Too high or too cold temperature will shorten the plant’s life.
• Check the soil daily. Water when soil is dry. Allow water to drain into a saucer and discard excess water.
• Do not fertilize when it is in bloom
• Fertilize the poinsettia if you plan to keep it past the holiday season with a houseplant fertilizer once a month.

Happy Holidays. May you find peace, love and happiness.