Yes, poinsettias can be planted after Christmas. While many people discard poinsettias after the holidays, it is possible to care for the plants so that they will continue to thrive. Start by trimming any leaves that are wilted or brown.
Put the plant in a bright, sunny area with indirect light and keep the soil moist. If possible, bring the plant outside in the springtime and transplant it into your garden. With proper care, the plant may even bloom at the end of the year.
However, it can take a few years before the plant begins to flower. If you don’t have the space or the time to transplant and care for the poinsettia, you can simply enjoy it as a festive holiday decoration and discard it after the season is over.
How do you save a poinsettia for next year?
The best way to save a poinsettia for next year is to keep the plant in a cool, sunny location. Once the temperatures remain consistently above about 50 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s time to transplant it out of the pot it’s currently in and into a larger one, using a well-draining soil like a peat and perlite mixture.
Once you’ve re-potted it, keep the soil damp but not too wet and water it about once or twice a week. You can fertilize the plant at this time as well. For your poinsettia to bloom again, it needs to be kept in darkness for 14 total hours a day starting in October.
The remaining 10 hours, it should be in bright light. When keeping the plant in darkness, make sure to cover the pot completely with a large cloth and keep it in a cool, dark place like a closet or a similar area.
Once the short days of winter arrive, the poinsettia will start to bloom again and bring lots of Christmas cheer.
Can you replant a poinsettia outside?
No, poinsettias are not suitable for replanting outdoors. They are native to Mexico, where they usually grow in the wild in moderately warm regions, so they are not well suited to outside temperatures in most other parts of the world.
If poinsettias are exposed to temperatures lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit, their colorful leaves will suffer cold damage, turning them yellow or brown. Further, if poinsettias are planted outside, they will often suffer from nutrient deficiencies that are peculiar to their indoor environment, such as lower than normal levels of phosphorus, magnesium, and iron.
In addition, outdoor poinsettias will be prone to attacks by pests, disease, and weeds. As a result, poinsettias should generally be kept in an indoor location with a temperature above 55 degrees Fahrenheit and cared for properly, as outlined in the directions on the wrappings surrounding each poinsettia when purchased.
What is the life expectancy of a poinsettia plant?
A poinsettia plant typically has a lifespan of about 12 months, but it is possible for them to last up to 2 years with proper care. Poinsettias are tropical plants and should be kept in an environment that is warm, bright and humid.
When caring for a poinsettia, make sure it receives bright, indirect sunlight and keep the soil moist but not overly wet. Additionally, temperatures should remain between 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit. Pruning and pinching back the plant can help keep it compact and bushy.
With proper care, a poinsettia should remain vibrant for many months.
Do poinsettias come back every year?
No, poinsettias are not perennials, meaning they do not come back annually. Poinsettias are actually tropical plants and in order for them to come back the following year, you need to take some extra precautions.
First, make sure to place your plant in the correct environment. Poinsettias need plenty of sunlight and at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures. As the days grow shorter and the temperature drops, the leaves of the poinsettia will begin to change color and drop off.
During the winter months, they should be placed in a cool, sunny area with temperatures at or above 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
In the spring, the poinsettia can be moved outdoors if temperatures remain above 60 degrees, but it should be taken indoors once temperatures dips below this. During the summer months, fertilize the poinsettia with a fertilizer made specifically for blooming plants to ensure it reblooms in the winter.
The poinsettia should also be placed back indoors before the temperature drops to around 55 degrees and put near a sunny window.
When the nights become longer, but the days remain sunny, which usually happens in late September, you should place the poinsettia in complete darkness for 14 hours each night for about six weeks to give the plant the signal to rebloom.
If done correctly, the poinsettia may rebloom around the same time every year.
Will a poinsettia bloom again?
Yes, poinsettias can bloom again. However, coaxing the plants back into bloom requires a bit of patience and dedication. To promote a poinsettia’s return to bloom, you must begin the process in mid- to late summer.
This means that the poinsettia must put on new growth for about 8 weeks, which includes hard-pruning and giving it lots of warm days and 12 hours of darkness every night. Additionally, the plant will also need to have adequate levels of sunlight, nutrient-dense fertilizers, and plenty of water.
If the poinsettia is in a sunny location for the required 8 weeks and given plenty of water and fertilizer, then it should initiate the process of blooming by late November. To ensure proper growth, it is best to keep the soil moist throughout the entire growing season.
Once the blooms become visible, reduce the water to allow the plant to become dry before watering again. With the right care, you can enjoy blooming poinsettias year after year.
When should a poinsettia be cut back?
A poinsettia should be cut back in late February or early March to promote new growth. Be sure to wait until after any threat of frost has passed. Prune the plant down by as much as one-third of its current size.
Cut just above a leaf node to encourage new shoots to form. Remove all faded foliage and any dead or broken stems. After pruning, place the poinsettia in a sunny window with temperatures between 65- and 70-degrees Fahrenheit.
Water the plant regularly and avoid over-watering. After about two months, the plant should produce new growth with the colors of the blooms starting to show up in August.
Can poinsettias live outside in the winter?
No, poinsettias should not be kept outside in the winter. These tropical plants are naturally suited to warm and humid climates, so they will be damaged and die if exposed to cold winter temperatures.
Additionally, poinsettias are not able to survive in temperatures below 50° F (10° C). In order for a poinsettia to flourish, it should be grown indoors in temperatures between 65 and 75°F (18–24°C).
If you must keep your poinsettia outside, bring the plant in when temperatures drop below the 50°F (10°C) threshold or when frost occurs. When bringing the poinsettia indoors, make sure to place it in a spot with plenty of light but no direct sunlight.
Lastly, be sure to water your poinsettia regularly. An overwatered poinsettia will cause the leaves to yellow and rot, so you should water the plant only when the soil becomes dry.
What kind of soil do you use for a poinsettia?
When planting a poinsettia, it is important to choose a soil that allows for the best drainage. Plants should always be planted in soil that will not be overly wet or become waterlogged, as poinsettias cannot tolerate wet feet.
A light, well-draining potting soil is ideal for poinsettias. This type of soil is made up of a mix of ingredients such as compost, peat moss, perlite, or vermiculite to help with drainage.
When choosing a pot, you should always opt for an oversized container and make sure it has drainage holes at the bottom. This will help to prevent water from pooling and theplant from becoming waterlogged.
After planting, make sure to keep the soil lightly moist – never overwatered or soggy. Always avoid soggy soil and err on the dry side instead as this will increase drainage and help with aeration of the soil.
Do poinsettias like to be root bound?
No, poinsettias generally do not like to be root bound. When the roots grow too large for the pot, it can reduce the plant’s ability to absorb the necessary nutrients and water that it needs to remain healthy.
Poinsettias prefer to have enough room in the pot so that the roots are not overcrowded, which can prevent the plant’s overall health and growth. Therefore, it is important to repot poinsettias every one to two years to make sure that they have enough space to grow and receive the nutrients and water needed.
Additionally, be sure to use a well-draining potting soil that is specifically designed for poinsettias so the proper nutrients are delivered and the soil does not become waterlogged and soggy.
Do poinsettias need big pots?
No, poinsettias don’t need big pots to thrive. Generally, they don’t need to be repotted until the roots become visible at the surface or potting soil begins to break down. A 6- or 8-inch pot is typically enough when repotting a poinsettia.
Since poinsettias are tropical plants, they rarely need anything larger than an 8-inch pot. If a pot is too large, it may in fact suffocate the plant as the soil can stay too wet and the roots may have difficulty getting oxygen.
Even in the winter months when poinsettias lose their leaves, they should stay in a 6- to 8-inch pot and simply be watered a bit less often.