How to Care for Your Poinsettias
Place the plant in an area where it will receive as much indirect light as possible and do not place it in a draft. Should your poinsettia be wrapped in foil, punch a hole in the bottom to provide good drainage and place pot in a saucer.
An easy way to water poinsettias is to set it in the sink, soak it, and at the same time, remove yellowed foliage off the bottom of the plant. Check your poinsettia every other day to every third day, depending on light.
Another way to water is placing ice cubes on the soil daily to maintain even moisture through the season. The amount of ice cubes depends on the pot size. For small 4 inch- 2-3 cubes daily. For 6 inch use 3-5 cubes and for larger pots use a few more. Double check the moisture occasionally with your finger or moisture meter.
Bonus Tidbit! Gill’s Connection To Today’s Poinsettia
Native to Mexico, the poinsettia can be traced as far back as the 14th century. The name poinsettia is credited to Joel Roberts Poinsett, a United States ambassador to Mexico in the 1820’s who brought the plant back to the US. In the 1950’s, Dr. Robert Stewart, a geneticist for the Agricultural Research Service Florist and Nursery Crops Laboratory in Beltsville, MD., started researching poinsettias to improve their quality. New colors like pink, white, and spotted variations are attributed to Dr. Stewart’s work, James Gill’s uncle!
brenda hutchens says
!Thanks so much for the helpful tips and the history.. That is something to really be proud of. James surely inherited some of his interest and his love of plants from his uncle. You all are my “go to” for plant questions. I ca always trust your answers.
James says
Nelda, when the Christmas cactus is in the bud initiation stage particularly, it needs to be kept a little on the dry side. And you never want to keep it soggy wet so always be sure that after watering any moisture left in the saucer is dumped out.