What to do with a Poinsettia after Christmas

Folks want to know how to care for their poinsettias to get the longest possible enjoyment out of them. The secret there – and I hope I’m not getting it to you too late – is to keep it moist at all times and to keep it out of hot drafts. A cool, bright room would be best.

Given those conditions alone, most poinsettias that were fresh and vigorous when they were bought can remain vibrant for several months.

Then the question becomes: “What can I do with my poinsettia once its beauty has faded and the last of those colorful bracts is gone?”

You can either prune it back by 20 or 25 percent and repot it into the next larger pot size, or you can discard it with the knowledge that there will be lovely new poinsettias in garden centers and flower shops next Christmas.

The thing that most people don’t realize is how quickly poinsettias grow and how large they can become in just one growing season. If you give them ample root room, either by repotting them every 4 to 6 weeks or by setting them out into the ground (in frost-free tropical areas only!), they can grow to 8 or 10 feet tall in just one summer.

My recommendation, since most of us don’t have room for plants of that size, would be to repot the plant to progressively larger pots in March and again in May or early June. You should be able to hold it in a pot that’s 20 or 24 inches in diameter. Pinch the growing tips out periodically to keep it more compact, and don’t let it dry out.

Beginning October 1 your plant must be given 14 hours of uninterrupted darkness at night and 10 hours of very bright sunshine in daytime. That will allow the plant to produce a flowering hormone that initiates blooming.

Note: This artificial dark period of 14 hours daily is only administered October and November. By Thanksgiving your plant should be showing nice color on its developing bracts.