It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and with it comes the inevitable holiday flower: poinsettias! While most people can get it to bloom for a couple of weeks and discard it after Christmas – they can actually continue blooming for quite a while. Last year I was able to keep mine alive until the end of February, and so I’d like to share a little advice on how to keep yours growing long past the holidays in our cold Ottawa weather.
Watering Poinsettias
Poinsettias like water, so about once a week will do! You’ll know it’s time to give the plant some more love when the surface of the soil feels dry. Give it enough to get that soul wet, but don’t flood or soak it as too much will easily have the flower wilting. I always like to put gravel in the bottom of all my plants to help with drainage, and it’s especially true with poinsettias! It will help keep the roots dry while giving the plant enough water. Sometimes a humidifier or misting your poinsettia can help keep it hydrated if you’re unsure whether it needs more water.
Wilting Leaves
The first sign that your poinsettia is on its way out is wilting petals or leaves. This is not good! Unfortunately, it can get a bit confusing as to what’s causing the wilting, since there are probably a number of different culprits. Like I said earlier – do not overwater! Wilting can be a sign of giving your plant too much love. If the first inch of the soil is wet or moist, it does not need any more water. Underwatering, though, can also cause wilting, so ensure that your plant never gets bone dry (i.e. so dry the soil is stiff). Some other things to look out for: don’t place it by a door to the outside or a cold window: any small draft or cool air will cause the plant to perish. The same goes for leaving it to warm or dry in the room! I’ve found my poinsettias do the best when at room temperature (around 20 degrees Celsius).
Willing a Re-bloom
If you can keep your poinsettia alive for long enough, you can try to get it to rebloom. When you first purchase your poinsettia it won’t need any fertilizing during the flowering period because stores tend to use pre-fertilized soil. But, if you want to re-pot it for the late spring after it stops flowering, fertilizing is ideal as it will help them live long enough to re-bloom later on. You can fertilize once a week using commercial fertilizers, but use it sparingly! I’ve found that my plants’ fertilizer can keep them dependent on it, and it can get pretty expensive. If you give the plant enough sunlight, moisture, and water and keep it at room temperature though, you may get away without using fertilizer.
Poinsettias really are bright, joyful flowers that can keep your home festive and fun. Hopefully, some of these tips will help keep your poinsettias alive during and long after the holiday season!