5 Tips for Taking Care of Your Poinsettias

There is nothing worse than getting a Poinsettia and have it not look good by Christmas.  And unfortunately, this is all too common. And the unfortunate thing is that there several factors that can cause problems.

One of the frustrating things about growing Poinsettias is that some people can save them from year to year and others of us have trouble getting their poinsettia to last even until Christmas. But the good news is that there are some things that you can do about it.

Try these 5 tips to help keep your Poinsettia looking good:

1. Make sure that your Poinsettia dries out between waterings

   This is something that can be hard to do right with any plant but especially with houseplants. What generally happens is either the plant is either sitting in water or bone dry and these two extremes are bad for any plants especially Poinsettias. The key here is to avoid overwatering.

2. Make sure that your Poinsettia gets enough light

   This is perhaps the hardest one and the one where most of us go wrong other than maybe the watering. What we often think is that if we place the Poinsettia in a bright room that will be good enough, even if it is in the middle of the room but rarely this is the case. Your best bet is to place it by a bright window preferably with morning sun and to make sure that the Poinsettia is not touching the window and keeping it there at least throughout the day. 

3. Make sure that your Poinsettia stays at the right temperature

   Poinsettias do best (keep their color longest) when they are somewhere between 65-75 degrees, though it is okay if the temp does fall to 60 overnight. 

4. Make sure that your Poinsettia is shielded from cold, wind, and drafts

   One thing that people do not realize is how much the cold can damage poinsettias. Even wind and drafts can cause issues. For this reason, it is best that the poinsettias are not placed near the door or areas where there is wind. The reason for this is not only the cold but also that poinsettias are used to humidity being from more tropical regions.

5. Be careful when you purchase your Poinsettia

   Having gone over the past 4 sections, we now come to our final tip, be careful when you purchase your poinsettia. if you notice anything amiss from the prior sections, then you may want to consider not getting the poinsettia. What is an example? Well, the worst case might be a poinsettia right inside a sliding door at the supermarket that is in foil and overwatered.

Have you followed any of these tips? Do you have any thing that you would add? Comment below!