How to Care for a Christmas Poinsettia Plant

Poinsettia plants are not only one of the most popular holiday decorating items, they are also one of the most popular holiday gifts. And while Christmas poinsettia plants bring a brilliant splash of vibrant red color to the winter months, they are notoriously hard to care for. In fact, most Christmas poinsettia plants die around New Year's with a few lucky one surviving the first few weeks of January. However, it surprises many that the reason poinsettia plants die is not from neglect, but from over care such as too much watering. So here are a few tips that will help your Christmas poinsettia plant survive well into the winter months and bring a splash of color to those cold dreary days.

Poinsettia plants can be placed pretty much anywhere in the home as long as they receive a few hours of sunlight each day. They do very well in brightly lit locations such as window sills. If you have a poinsettia plant in a place without windows, simply move it to a sunny location for one hour per day and then take it back inside. If the poinsettia plant is in a dark location for more than a few days the leaves will begin to wilt. This is an indication that the plant needs light. Moving the plant to a sunny location will usually restore rigidity to the leaves within 24 hours.

Watering Christmas Poinsettia Plants
Only water poinsettia plants when the soil is completely dry. The biggest mistake that most poinsettia owners make is over watering the plant. This is the quickest way to kill any poinsettia. To determine if the poinsettia plant needs water, place you finger one inch down the inside of the plant pot. If the soil is dry, then water well until the soil is moist and spongy.

The frequency of watering depends on several factors including the temperature of the building that the poinsettia plant is in, as well as the humidity in the air and the size of the pot it is planted in. On average a poinsettia plant only needs to be watered once per week. If it is in a warmer or more arid location, twice a week waterings may be required.

Christmas Poinsettia Plant Pots
Most poinsettia plants come wrapped in a decorative holiday foil. This foil should be removed immediately after purchasing the plant to allow for proper water drainage. If you want to leave the foil on, simply use a sharp object to poke two to three holes in the bottom of the foil to allow excess water to drain out.

Fertilizing Christmas Poinsettia Plants
If your poinsettia plant survives to mid January, you may be wondering if it needs to be fertilized. The answer is no. In fact, fertilizing a poinsettia plant will actually kill it. So just let it be.