How does one care for poinsettias? Mine usually drops leaves and dies.?

Answer 1

'Instructions
STEP 1: Place your poinsettia in a sunny window. These plants require bright light - the more, the better. STEP 2: Keep soil evenly moist at all times. Even a day without adequate moisture is enough to make poinsettias drop their leaves. STEP 3: Provide a constant source of humidity by filling the overflow saucer with gravel. Water seeping through the pot will evaporate from the gravel. STEP 4: Turn up the heat. Poinsettias are native to Mexico, where it is hot during the winter. STEP 5: Keep the temperature as close to constant as you can, day and night. Decreasing temperatures cause leaves to drop. STEP 6: Fertilize weekly with half-strength liquid houseplant fertilizer, or use a slow-release food when you first bring your poinsettia home." Good luck.

Answer 2

Ok, I have a plant book that I have used before to find out about poinsettias. The leaves are pale green and the small greenish yellow flowers uninteresting, but the vibrantly colored bracts can be magnificent. These are, in fact, colored leaves that develop at the top of the stems in fall...They like bright, filtered light. In the winter the should be kept at 60~70 degrees temerature. Keep soil moist in winter and spring, reduce watering after flowering, apply weak fertilizer every 2 weeks from mid fall to late spring. When plant has finished flowering cut it back to 4~6 inches/10~15cm. Store it in a warm place, and keep the soil almost dry until new growth appears, usually after 2 months. Then in early summer water the plant well, when growth restarts, repot in fresh soil in same size pot. Beginning in the mid fall it is essential to keep a poinsettia in total darkness for 14 hours each day if the colored bracts are to appear. For 2 months cover the plant with a black plastic bag in early evening and remove it the following morning while increasing watering and feeding. When the bracts beging to show color, leave the plant uncovered. Hope this helps you out. Im a plant lover myself...

Answer 3

I guess it all depends on where you live. My green-thumb sister lives in Canada. This is what she does, she transplants in a larger pot and keeps the plant in a dark closet in her hallway. Why would anyone do that you might ask, well the flowering formation is triggered by 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness. I guess it's a trick to make the plant think that it is still in Mexico. Then at breakfast she carries the plant from the dark cupboard and places it in her sunny front window (draft-free away from doors and electric heaters) She cuts the plant back in the Spring and when the buds start to grow she stops the closet routine and keeps it in her sunny front window. The soil should stay moist-not wet.I tried to do that last year but mine didn't make it, I guess it must have caught a draft. She is very successful at it and has many in her home all year
.PS. Poinsettias are poisonous to house pets.

Answer 4

They make great plants and will live for a long time. They can grow fairly large, and would become tree sized if we could plant them outside in a tropical area.
Don't overwater, water when dry and don';t over fertilize- fertilize very lightly. In the summer, it can get too hot for it- if you live in Texas, for example don't set it outside in full sun it'll burn it up. Select a partial-light area.
If you leave it outside when fall comes the cooler temps will create red leaves. We have some that are several years old.
The reason most xmas poinsettias die is due to initially, failure to water them followed by overwatering, this is partially because the soil used in the poinsettia pot is like the worst you'll ever buy a plant in- its packaged only for xmas viewing. you should repot your poinsettia in quality soil at first opportunity or it'll always struggle to some extent in the poor soil it came with

Answer 5

My grandma has worked at a florist for over 20 years. Poinsettias do not need a lot of water. In that case, the easiest thing to do, and what she has always suggested to me, is to put an ice cube or two on the soil and let it melt by itself. It melts slow and it won't drown the plant. Every few days, throw another couple of ice cubes on top of the soil, and it should be fine.

Answer 6

I got some poinsettias for free a couple years ago at a Christmas party and didn't know what to do with them either. So I took them out of the crappy little pots of crappy soil that they all came in and re-potted them in some good potting soil and mixed this stuff called Dynamite (http://dynamiteplantfood.com/) in with the soil. It's like super-vitamins for plants or something that I found it at the home improvement store in the garden section. Anyhow, it works: I put the plants in the shady part of my patio and watered them regularly (every few days) and they went nuts. They grew huge and are doing really well. That was 2 years ago and they are still going strong. I live in Southern CA, so if you live in someplace freezing you may need to keep them in a greenhouse or something. Good luck.

Answer 7

Location and Temperature - The poinsettia thrives on indirect, natural daylight. Exposure to at least six hours daily is recommended. If direct sun cannot be avoided, diffuse with a light shade or sheer curtain. To prolong the bright color of the poinsettia bracts, daytime temperatures should not exceed 70º F. Avoid placing the plants near drafts, excess heat or the dry air from appliances, fireplaces or ventilating ducts.

Water and Fertilizer - Poinsettias require moderately moist soil. Water the plants thoroughly when the soil surface feels dry to the touch. Remove the plant from decorative pots or covers, and water enough to completely saturate the soil. Do not allow the poinsettia to sit in any standing water; root rot could result which could kill the plant. It is not necessary to fertilize the poinsettia when it is in bloom.

Outside Placement - Since poinsettias are sensitive to cold weather, frost and rain, outside placement during the winter months should be avoided. However, in mild climates, an enclosed patio or entryway may be suitable provided the night temperatures do not drop below 55º F. Make certain the delicate bracts are well-protected from wind and cold rain.

After the Holidays - When the bracts age and lose their aesthetic appeal, usually by late March or early April, cut the poinsettia back to about 8 inches in height. By the end of May you should see vigorous new growth. Pruning may be required during the summer to keep plants bushy and compact, but do not prune after September 1. Keep the plants in indirect sun and water regularly.

Place your plants outdoors, where they can bask in the warmth of spring and summer, after outside night temperatures average 55º F or above. Continue regular watering during the growth period. Fertilize every 2 to 3 weeks throughout the spring, summer and fall months with a well-balanced, complete fertilizer. Around June 1, you may transplant your poinsettias into larger pots. Select pots no more than 4 inches larger than the original inner pot. A soil mix with a considerable amount of organic matter, such as peat moss or leaf mold, is highly recommended. If you wish, you may transplant the poinsettias into a well-prepared garden bed. Be sure the planting bed is rich in organic matter and has good drainage.

Re-flowering - The poinsettia is a photoperiodic plant, meaning that it sets bud and produces flowers as the Autumn nights lengthen. The plants will naturally come into full bloom during November or December, depending upon the flowering response time of the individual cultivar. Timing the bloom to coincide closely with the Christmas holiday can be difficult without the controlled environment of a greenhouse. Stray light of any kind, such as from outside street lights or household lamps, could delay or entirely halt the re-flowering process. Starting October 1, the plants must be kept in complete darkness for 14 continuous hours each night. Accomplish this by moving the plants to a totally dark room, or by covering them with a large box overnight. During October, November and early December, the plants require 6 - 8 hours of bright sunlight daily, with nighttime temperatures between 60 - 70º F. Temperatures outside this range may delay flowering. Continue the normal watering and fertilizer program. Following this regime for 8 to 10 weeks should result in a colorful display of blooms for the holiday season.

Answer 8

Poinsettias are a tropical plants. They like bright windows and a good sun too if you have a sunny window. Don't feel discourage if they drop all their green leaves and red ones because they usually do. All the poinsettias on the market for Christmas were all forced to bloom (or change in color) and there's high percentage that they'll die. If they drop their leaves, as long as the stem is still green and alive don't throw it yet just keep the soil moist and they'll give you new shoots. Don't expect that they'll be the same as when you buy them. It'll be totally different. It'll be more natural. It won't hurt too to prune them in cases that there's lot of shoots. Just keep the one you desired. Treat them as your other house plants. If you're successful, what you do next November is to keep them in total darkness for a week and then brought them out again after. If you're lucky you'll gonna get a live one for Christmas with a good show of color. You can just leave it natural too, without forcing it ta change color in December, they'll eventually change color in February. It works for me, it should work for you too.

Answer 9

nicely, even with the theory that is water appropriate, it may't be. the place did you get your plant from? replaced into it a backyard midsection or florist? or replaced into it a field save or great industry? If the plant life have been shipped from a distance or of their bins too long, that could desire to be a portion of the topic. additionally, in the event that they are stored in plastic sleeves too long (24hours) which would be a great situation. Poinsettias are very services to break from methane, which gets geared up up while they are boxed and sleeved for too long. on the backyard midsection I artwork at, for over 10 years, we had to unbox and unsleeve our Poinsettias ASAP, right this moment. truthfully, if the plant is uncovered to chilly for a era, jointly with 5 mins, might reason injury to the plant besides. There are some attainable issues, that could desire to reason the leaf loss. despite if that's touching directly to the boxing/ sleeving, the topic might desire to be alleviated presently when you eliminate the sleeve and the plant adjusts to the recent atmosphere. If that is because of the fact that is dry, the wilting and leaf loss might desire to cut back because of the fact the water situation is corrected. too lots water will reason the plant to wilt too! yet they are going to look bruised. i'm hoping that this helps stable luck-

Answer 10

water give some sun keep away from the cold and frost a lot of activity is not usually a good thing. ohh and never let near a cat near them poinsettias are poisonous to cats