Keeping a poinsettia healthy and happy in a pot indoors in the winter is relatively easy.
By Laura Myers
During the winter holiday season, many people decorate their homes with poinsettias. The vibrant red and green of a poinsettia go well with traditional holiday decor. Interestingly, the red parts that everyone loves are not flower petals but are actually bracts, which are modified leaves. The true flowers are the tiny yellow structures in the center called cyathia. Poinsettias are native to the warm regions of southern Mexico. In the wild, they grow as large shrubs that can reach ten feet tall. Keeping a poinsettia healthy and happy in a pot indoors in the winter is relatively easy.
Poinsettias enjoy bright light but do not love cold drafts. Place them near a sunny window and keep them away from doors that open often or spots that feel chilly. Water is the part most people overdo. Poinsettias like their soil slightly moist but not soggy. The best trick is to wait until the top inch feels dry and then give the plant a slow drink. Make sure any decorative pot cover does not trap extra water, as they do not like soggy roots. If the leaves start to droop a little, it is usually a sign they need water soon.
A tropical plant, room temperature is perfect for poinsettias. They are happiest between mid-sixties and the low seventies. If your home runs warmer, they may dry out faster, so check the soil more often.
With a little attention, a poinsettia can stay bright well into the new year. Some gardeners keep them going for another season, although getting them to color up again requires specific light cycles. For most of us, simply enjoying their festive glow is enough.
Laura Myers volunteers with Garland County Master Gardeners of the UofA Div. of Agriculture, Cooperative Ext. Service. Master Gardeners pool skills and resources to improve home horticulture, stimulate interest in plants and gardening, and encourage beautification.
