Summer is the time when you get to let your poinsettia develop healthy green leaf growth. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. If grown as a landscape shrub in warm climates, poinsettia requires a sunny location and well-drained soil. Look for a spot in your garden with plenty of morning sun but more shade in the afternoon. They'll sit nicely in your compost and decompose, making excellent soil for your garden. Keep your poinsettia plants looking festive and beautiful by avoiding everything on this list. It's often used as a Christmas decoration. Poinsettias & Other Holiday Plants That Are Toxic To Pets (& 3 That Arent), 12 Christmas Plants For A Festive Indoor Garden, How to Save Your Amaryllis Bulb To Bloom Again Next Year, Christmas Cactus Care: More Blooms, Propagate & Identify Holiday Cacti, How to Get Rid of Stink Bugs & Ladybugs in Your Home, 30 Alternative Christmas Tree Ideas To Try This Year. Pat soil gently around the base of the stem. Common Diseases of Poinsettia. Poison Control says poinsettias are not deadly, even if eaten. Are poinsettias, mistletoe, or holly plants dangerous? Debra is a member of The Spruce Gardening andPlant Care Review Board. While their flowers are actually small, yellow, and barely noticeable, the bracts modified leaves around these flowers develop showy colors during this period. If you put them outside for the summer, make sure they are in partial shade. The brightly colored bracts help to attract pollinators to the little flowers. Hey there, Rural Sprout reader, my name is Tracey, and Im so glad you popped over to my bio. Situate your plant away from any doors or windows that you open frequently. All of the new growth will be green, dont worry, well get it to turn red just in time for Christmas. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Solution. If you are dedicated to keeping your indoor plant on a strict schedule for reblooming, it can live for up to two years, quite possibly three, or even longer. Keep in mind that organic pesticides typically have to be reapplied more frequently than chemical products due to their gentler ingredients. If you have overwatered your plant, check for root rot, remove any rotten roots, repot the plant and adjust your watering schedule. By Glenda Taylor and Marisa Villarreal Updated Dec 19, 2019 11:57 AM. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). So, these days I consider myself to be almost a homesteader. Your care during this period can help it grow and flourish by returning to a normal watering routine, repotting, fertilizing, and possibly cutting it back (and you can use those cuttings to start more poinsettia plants if you wish). The poinsettia was first introduced in 1828 to the United States, by Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Continue watering and fertilizing your poinsettia as usual once youve transplanted it successfully. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. According to S.E Newman, greenhouse crops specialist, and B.A Edmunds of the Colorado State University Extension, the ideal temperatures for this plant are a steady 67-70F during the day and 60-62F at night. "Touching it may cause a rash. Better Homes & Gardens - 100 years of powering your passions at home, 2. To maximize the enjoyment from a poinsettia before Christmas, keep the following tips in mind: After Christmas, its tempting to toss out a poinsettia. Its about this time that most folks pitch their plants. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Pots without drainage holes can leave poinsettia roots sitting in water. Keep up this routine to allow the plant to continue to develop its colorful bracts until about early December. In return, they'll reward you with their festive colors well into the New Year.