Poinsettia Care and Maintenance
Poinsettia Care and Maintenance:
Poinsettias are easy to keep. They will retain their blooms long after you have put away the Christmas decorations. If you are lucky, they will last until Valentines Day. After bringing them home, keep them in a sunny room. Ideal temperature range is 60-70 degrees. They do not like drafts, and they do not like being placed near high heat, like a furnace vent or fireplace.
Water thoroughly, and then let the soil dry between watering. Poinsettias are forgiving. If they begin to dry out water them, then they will bounce right back. If the leaves turn lighter green, give more sunshine and...they bounce right back.
During the summer, you can move your plant outdoors to a sunny location. Plant it directly into your garden or into a container. Give it a good trimming, into a nice rounded shape. Apply general purpose fertilizer every two to three weeks.
Bring the plant indoors before the first frost. Poinsettias can not withstand frost. Check carefully to be sure you did not bring in any "critters" in with your plant.
