You’ve probably seen homes, offices, and stores decorated with these vibrant beauties around the holidays. The bright red bracts of a classic poinsettia are what make it such a festive-looking plant, but we’ll show you how to continue caring for them after the holiday season is over.

Water

Definitely never let your poinsettia dry out to the point of wilting; the plant will lose all its leaves very quickly and it will be difficult to bring back to a healthy appearance. However, you should also be careful never to let the plant sit in excess water, as this will cause root rot. Lightly touch the soil, and if it feels dry, bring the plant over to a sink for watering. If your container has drainage, water thoroughly over the sink and let all excess drain out before placing back on the dish. If your container has a closed bottom, water the soil evenly, then wait a minute before carefully tilting over the sink to drain out all excess (be cautious of overwatering in a closed container).

Light

Poinsettias will do best in bright, indirect sunlight, so you should place yours near a south, west, or east-facing window. These plants are very sensitive to temperature fluctuations, so be sure to keep them away from heaters, drafts, vents, doors, and any other sources of hot or cold air. Poinsettias will be damaged if exposed to temperatures 50 degrees or below, and freezing temperatures will kill them.

Fertilizer

Don’t fertilize your poinsettia around the holidays; only when you see new growth. When you see new green leaves sprouting, you can use an all-purpose plant fertilizer at half the concentration listed on the package.

Reblooming Timeline (source: “Growing and caring for poinsettia” - University of Minnesota Extension)

• New Year’s Day - fertilize if you see any new growth, keep providing bright sunlight

• Valentine’s Day - if the plant has become leggy, cut back to about 5 in. tall

• St. Patrick’s Day - prune off faded parts, clean leaves off the soil and add more soil if roots are visible

• Memorial Day - trim off 2-3 in. of branches, transplant into a container with a couple inches of soil on all sides

• Father’s Day - move outside in indirect sunlight for the summer

• 4th of July - trim again, move to full sun, increase watering and fertilizing to stimulate growth

• Labor Day - move indoors to a spot with at least 6 hours of sunlight, reduce fertilizer to 1/4 the recommended concentration, reduce water

• Fall Equinox - starting Sept. 21, move to 16 hours of complete darkness and 8 hours of bright sunlight daily, keeping the night temperature in the low 60s and rotating daily

• Thanksgiving - switch to normal schedule with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight, keep watering and fertilizing at reduced rate

• Christmas - enjoy your new poinsettia!