Decorating
Poinsettias and Their Care
By Cynthia Kirkeby
Nov 18, 2008, 10:35 PST

Poinsettias, have long been the most popular Christmas plant. For years they were only available in the red variety. Then poinsettias started to appear in white varieties, and now there are versions in that come in pink, pink with red flecks called “Pink Peppermint,” red with pink flecks called ”Jingle Bells”, and a brand new one called Monet that is a muted multicolored pink and cream variety. What choices!

Although some of the varieties appear more hardy than others, all of the Poinsettias have the same care regime.

Light	bright indirect light for at least six hours a day
Water	moist, not sopping wet; be sure to dump any excess water that accumulates in the saucer under the plant
Temperature	Ideally the temperature should be within 60-72 degrees.

Surprisingly, as you can see in the above chart, poinsettias don’t tolerate changes in temperature very well. Be sure to keep them away from drafts, heaters, fans, and other are where the temperature tends to fluctuate.

If you start to loose leaves, it could be that the temperature is not within the comfort range of your plant, or you may not be watering it well enough. A little Miracle Grow or other household fertilizer is recommended if you keep the plant for more than a month.

If you’d like to care for your plant and keep it for next year you actually can! Follow these great directions from Michigan State and next year you won’t have to buy new poinsettias for the holidays.

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