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You are here: Home / Flowers / Growing Flowers / How do you take care of a potted poinsettia indoors?

How do you take care of a potted poinsettia indoors?

5 Comments

poinsettia plant flowering red

QUESTION: How do you take care of a potted poinsettia indoors? Every year my blooms fall off and they look terrible after just a few weeks. – Michelle R

ANSWER: Don’t feel too bad. Poinsettias are notoriously hard to care for as a houseplant. But there are plenty of things you can do to keep it looking healthy for the duration of the holiday season.

Choose a location for your poinsettia where it will not come into contact with drafts or blasts of heated air (from your home’s climate control system or a space heater, for example). The best indoor spot for a poinsettia is in a west-facing or south-facing window. Your poinsettia should receive at least six hours of light each day, whether it receives sunlight or artificial light. 

Remove the foil wrapper that many poinsettias come with, or at least poke holes in the foil wrapper to allow excess moisture to drain out of the plant’s container. Place the poinsettia’s container on a tray or saucer to catch any moisture that drips from the drainage holes. 

Poinsettias are most comfortable between 65 and 75 degrees (18.33 to 23.89 degrees Celsius). If temperatures fall below this range, the plant may drop its foliage or start to suffer from cold stress. Cold damage occurs when poinsettias are exposed to temperatures of 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7.22 degrees Celsius) or below. Temperatures higher than the ideal range can result in a shorter lifespan for your poinsettia. 

If you want your holiday guests to be greeted with poinsettias when they approach your front door, wait until just before your company will arrive to place the poinsettias outdoors. The temperature in winter is much too cold for poinsettias to be comfortable in most of the world. Remember to bring the poinsettias back indoors as soon as you can once they’ve served their purpose. Your poinsettias should never remain outdoors overnight. 

Check the moisture level of the soil where your poinsettia is growing each day. Once the top inch of the soil is dry, it’s time to provide the plant with some more water. Keep watering the plant until the moisture drips from the drainage holes in the bottom of its container. Once the excess moisture has finished draining from the soil, pour out the water that is standing in the tray or saucer beneath the container.

potted poinsettia with text overlay how to take care of potted poinsettia indoors

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Filed Under: Growing Flowers

Comments

  1. Forrest says

    December 8, 2020 at 4:14 pm

    Thanks for the info! I just got my first ever poinsettia for my house, and I want to keep it looking good. Happy holidays

    Reply
  2. Jane says

    December 9, 2020 at 6:18 am

    I heard about using ice cubes to water Poinsettia has done a lot for longevity

    Reply
  3. Andrea says

    December 12, 2020 at 4:15 am

    My poinsettas always drops leaves within days of purchasing. Same again this year year! I have moved it around from room to room without any luck so far. Most rooms show a temperature of 21 or 22 which may be too hot ? I will drench it now, let it drain and try another room away from the window..thanks for the advice.

    Reply
  4. John nissen says

    December 3, 2021 at 12:04 pm

    How do you get the leaves to turn red after they turn green

    Reply
  5. SUE OLIVER says

    February 26, 2023 at 8:27 pm

    i dont have any red on mine any more it is just all green i have it in side on the kitchen table now can any one help me please

    Reply

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