Besides the Christmas tree, the Poinsettia plant is the most popular holiday plant of the season. It perfectly decorates your home with its red and green color during the holidays, but did you know you could keep your poinsettias alive and thriving year-round?

It’s not an easy task, and is almost like taking care of a pet. Both need constant love and attention. So we’re offering some tips on how to keep your poinsettias looking gorgeous after Christmas.

1. Don’t let the soil dry out. Continue to water your poinsettia like you would any other plant.
2. Slowly decrease its water intake around the month of April. This is a very critical step in which it might die due to it not being able to accept this new drying phase. Move to a colder place where the temperature never goes over 60 degrees and out of sunlight. Keep it indoors if you live in dry and hot areas of the country.
3. Sometime in May, repot the poinsettia in a bigger container. Cut all the stems down to about four inches. After, give it a good watering to wake it up. At this point, you will want to give it some sun while still remaining indoors. You will notice some rebirth after continuing to water on a regular basis through the summer. Apply fertilizer a few times a month throughout the summer as well.
4. To get poinsettias to re-bloom, limit its exposure to sunlight or this will affect the blooming process. Flower buds should be seen by November if all goes well.

 
Following these steps won’t guarantee your poinsettia will thrive all year, but it can keep them healthy and alive for many months after the traditional holidays come to an end. For more information on poinsettia plants, visit Milberger’s Nursery today.