Want to keep those poinsettias you have decorating your home this holiday season blooming bigger, brighter, and longer than ever?
There is little doubt the poinsettia is the official flower of the Christmas and holiday season. Often known as the Christmas flower, the plants are perfect for decorating a home from Thanksgiving all the way to New Year’s Day.
But for many who decorate with poinsettias, keeping the plant blooming all throughout the holiday season can be quite the challenge. All too often, without proper care, they can turn from a gorgeous flowering showpiece to a near-lifeless plant. And in as little as a week or two!
Not only can it put a damper on your holiday decorations, it can also a put a big dent in your pocketbook if you have to replace them halfway through the season.
But here’s some good news – the simple truth is, with the right kind of care and placement, poinsettias can and should stay blooming for a minimum of four to six weeks. In fact, in many cases, you can extend their blooming life to eight weeks and beyond. Which, of course, is more than enough time to enjoy them all season long!
With that in mind, here are 3 simple secrets to keep your poinsettias blooming and booming this year – longer than you ever thought possible.
3 Simple Secrets That Will Keep Your Poinsettias Blooming Longer Than Ever!
Contrary to what many think, poinsettia “blooms” are actually bracts, and not a flower at all. Although they look like a flowering bloom, bracts are instead a set of colorful leaves that form on top of the regular green foliage of the poinsettia.
When it comes to keeping those leaves strong and colorful – the secret all comes down to taking care of three important things: how much moisture your poinsettia gets, how much heat it gets – and how much light it receives as well. And if you give your plant just what it needs of each – it will reward you with long lasting blooms!
Secret #1: Giving Your Plants The Moisture They Need – 3 Simple Secrets That Will Keep Your Poinsettias Blooming Longer
The biggest key of all to keep poinsettias flowering is proper watering. Poinsettias are extremely finicky when it comes to moisture. Give them too much water, and their roots can rot, leaving the bracts and leaves to yellow. And with too little moisture? Those same leaves will wilt, droop and eventually drop.
Of the two, over-watering causes more issues for poinsettias. Not only can over-watering lead to the yellowing of leaves, it can also rot away the root structure, killing the plant in the process. One thing is for sure, if a poinsettia sits in water, it will fail quickly.
Always allow your plants to dry out completely between watering sessions. And when you do water, water so the soil is moist and damp, but not overly saturated. On the other side, you also need to make sure the soil doesn’t stay too dry for too long. As with over-watering, under-watering will cause a plant to lose its bracts and color prematurely as well.
Finally – one of best things you can do for your plant’s bracts is to mist them regularly. This will not affect the soil moisture level but help to hydrate the leaves instead.
Misting can be incredibly effective for lengthening how long bracts stay bright and vibrant. Especially if you happen to have a home that is overly dry in the winter. See our article: How To Water Poinsettias – Why You Should Be Misting Your Poinsettia Plants!
Secret #2: Avoiding Heat – 3 Simple Secrets That Will Keep Your Poinsettias Blooming Longer
The second factor that can severely affect the longevity of your poinsettia plant’s blooms is heat. As in the amount of heat in the room as well as the heat or drafts that may be near or in the path of your poinsettia plant.
Poinsettia plants bloom longest when kept between 70 and 75 degrees. If the room is too cool, it can shorten the lifespan of blooms by tricking the plant into thinking winter is approaching. Cool rooms also can keep the plants from drying out enough in between watering.
On the other hand, even though poinsettias love warmth and humidity – they aren’t overly fond of excessive heat. Overly warm rooms will shorten the bloom time of poinsettia plants as well. As can sitting them near a heat source such as a fireplace, furnace vent – or even a hot lamp from a light.
When placed near a heat source or blowing air, the plant will dry out quickly. These types of heat sources also take moisture out of the leaves, shortening their life span in quick fashion.
Secret #3: Lighting – 3 Simple Secrets That Will Keep Your Poinsettias Blooming Longer
The third and final factor for extending your poinsettia bloom life is to control the amount of natural light the plant receives. Poinsettia plants need light to bloom, but if they receive too much light, their bloom life shortens drastically.
This is often the hardest of the three to control. Especially if your plants are part of a display near a window, or located in a sunny room. Place plants where they will receive a fair amount of indirect light, but not direct sunlight through a window.
If you really want to extend their bloom length, move them out of the light during the brightest or warmest part of the day. It may take a bit of extra care, but it will keep your plants in bloom for much longer than leaving them in place.
After The Holidays – 3 Simple Secrets That Will Keep Your Poinsettias Blooming Longer
It’s important to note that even with great care, your plant will begin to fade at some point. As a perennial plant, a poinsettia will eventually go through its natural phase and head into a short period of dormancy. As it does, it will lose its brightly colored bracts in the process.
The good news is that because they are a perennial, poinsettia plants can be overwintered. Once your plant begins to fade, simply cut it back to around three to five inches in height. That includes leaves and stems.
Next, place the plant in a sunny window. In just a few weeks, you will see new green leaves beginning to appear as your plant revives. And it will be ready to take on another year and another Christmas season!
Here is to finding a way to keep your poinsettias blooming beautiful and longer than ever through the holiday season – and even more, keeping them around year after year to enjoy! Happy Decorating – Jim and Mary
Old World Garden Farms
Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.
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