Poinsettia in an attractive planters or container is one of our favorite plants to warm up the holiday entrance or add a jolt of fiery red to the festive décor.

Every year we see a profusion of Poinsettia in the greenhouse, at the local supermarket and every flower shop in Town.  They are wonderful and can stay in the house in beautiful planters all year long if you take care of them properly.

The Poinsettia is very sensitive to over watering and drafts – either one causes the leaves to drop.  Don’t water until the soil starts to dry out.  Do not let water stand in the saucer underneath the container.  Remove any damaged or diseased leaves or bracts when you see them.

Here are a few pointers.  What we would like to consider as gorgeous blooms are actually clusters of leaves called a bract.  They can be red, pink, white, yellow or of course many different shades of color.  The flower is in the center of these bracts.  Always choose a plant that has dark green foliage, however, the lighter the bracts, the lighter green the foliage.

Choose your Holiday Poinsettia carefully and then make sure that it is well wrapped before taking it outdoors.  If it gets chilly, even for a very short time, damage will occur to both leaves and flowers.

The best conditions inside for your Poinsettia are for them to obtain at least six hours of natural sunlight per day.  Avoid direct sun, as this will cause the leaves to fade. Do not fertilize while it is in bloom.  However, here is the way that you can keep your Poinsettia for the year and have it ready to bloom again next Holiday Season.

When your plant has stopped blooming, move it to a cool, dark place such as your garage or storeroom.  Reduce watering but not completely.  Cut the plants back part way so that each stem is left with only two buds.  In the late Spring, place them outdoors again.  They will probably need to be repotted to a container with about 3” larger in diameter.  Keep them well watered and move to a sunny location. Be sure to turn the pot every week for even growth..

You may wish to keep pinching them back as they continue to grow – this will encourage branching.  Make sure that the plant is watered when the soil is dry to the touch and now start fertilizing again.

In areas where the temperature will go below freezing, they will need to be brought inside again in the Fall.  In early October, leave them in total, yes total, darkness for 14 hours a day.  Continue this regime until Thanksgiving, continuing to water and feed during this time.

Now keep your plant out on display and you should have beautiful foliage and flowers by mid December – just in time for the next Holiday Season.

Remember, you can place your Poinsettia in a beautiful planter or container and surround it with lovely ivy trailing down the sides.  Decorate with a few ornaments for a spectacular festive look. The Poinsettia can be replaced with Amaryllis, Tulips or Daffodils in the Spring