House Plant Care: Poinsettias after the Holidays

Wondering what to do with your holiday Poinsettias? RBG’s Manager of Plant Propagation and Production Chris Tarrant shares how you can keep your poinsettia all year long!
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[@gustav24-7-52]

Not for the faint of heart? I stuck em in pots, added more dirt, set them in storage totes to protect my floor from water drips, and set them in front of the East facing sliding doors in my bedroom, and I might remember to give them a drink once a week. They've doubled in size. It is mid May and I have new red "flowers". Literally, keeping a poinsettia alive is the easiest thing I've ever done in my life. LOL

[@crunchypickles99]

Me too!!! 💯 They are awesome!!!

[@pumpkineater_69557]

Thanks for this. I was about to just toss it but I think I’ll give be your idea a try

[@Re_d20]

I once plopped some poinsettia flowers in a vase with water and they lasted two years 😂

[@faithandhope7148]

I have one poinsettia that is 13 years old and one that is 8 years old. I kept them in the same pot and just water once a week. No fertilizer and never trimmed. They have sat on a table at a west facing window the whole time. This fall I finally repotted them into bigger pots and new soil. They both produce the coloured leaves each year between December and April.

[@viviancordoves4220]

Hi thanks for sharing. I just got ponsettia from a friend and I want to ask if it’s going to survive without indoor sunlight? Here is -20 winter time and rarely gets sunlight in any room. Will appreciate your advise.

[@faithandhope7148]

@@viviancordoves4220mine do not get direct sunlight in the winter. In summer, they got about an hour of direct sunlight and they did great. I unfortunately got a very bad infestation of white flies. Thousands covered every poinsettia but thankfully did not bother any other plants I have. Took them all outside and used a hose but they were sticking to the leaves and I could see eggs covering every leaf. They were outside for a couple of weeks and hundreds of those flies would fly all over when shaking the branches. I cried my heart out having to throw them all out. Especially when the plants were still alive and healthy but could not rid the flies and could not take them back into the house.

[@user-bn7cg5kz9p]

Wow there is so much variation in the information presented on YT about caring for Poinsettias. It’s hard to really know what to do or who to trust as the “expert”.

[@spacesentinels]

Sir you would have been an outstanding teacher. This is coming from someone who taught for 33 years. Your instruction was outstanding. thank you. I will definitely try this.

[@dakotaridgek9]

Keep in mind the seasons vary around the globe. he is describing what works for his locale.

[@knightowl2016]

I repotted our small plant when it was almost dying, and not only did it recover and bloom much larger but it started producing red leaves in the mid-spring with only about 6 hrs of semi-darkness.

[@safi456]

This video really confused me toward the end. Why are we squeezing the plant into a smaller pot? And why the darkness? Arent the night hours of darkness enough? Do we keep it in perpetual darkness for days/ weeks? So confused. Pls can you share your method instead? Thank you!!!

[@DarknessFalls29]

@@safi456 I wondered the same. For years I've heard about keeping them in the dark during the "off season", but didn't know for how long or why. This past January, I put mine in a closet & trimmed it then it started growing tiny offshoots.

[@maggiemaguire8534]

Please zoom in when showing where to cut and looking at roots, thanks for sharing

[@loriv.8986]

Yes! A leaf and his hand was covering the node.

[@SpaceAce13]

One of the maintenance techs brought a poinsettia for our office last Christmas. We stuck it on the front counter and I water it once a week if I remember to. It's still got it's red leaves and it's growing enough that I'm planning on repotting it into a bigger pot. It seems to be doing fine for the most part. I'm honestly surprised it lasted this long. Everyone kept saying it would probably die a month or 2 after the holidays.

[@michelesanchez1769]

I haven't learned all this with growing I never knew to prune it. Should I do it now that is full of leaves

[@marigeobrien]

I think most people think poinsettias are dying or have died because the plant loses most, if not all, of their leaves during the winter. But that doesn't matter. They are behaving like a type of deciduous tree, i.e., like a maple or oak tree, both of which lose their leaves in winter. But they're not dead. Unlike maples and oaks, however, poinsettias' roots cannot take a freeze. What Mr. Tarrant is doing, basically, is keeping the plant from getting too big. I have grown them to the size of 4-5 feet tall. Almost too tall. LOL! This year, I want to try doing it his way.

[@rebeccamartinez4184]

No reason it should die off

[@viviancordoves4220]

Do you have to keep your ponsettia in a place by the window to get sunlight or it survives even without it? I received one and I do not have a room in my place for sunlight. Please share any advise you may have.

[@johnhardinconnelly9474]

I clone them by putting the pruned branches in water for a week or so until I see roots or for a week whether I see roots or not and plant them in some Happy Frog soil and keep them for many years to come!

[@aliciashirley5210]

A very easy to understand video on how to care for poinsettias all year long! Thank you!

[@moglisgarden8732]

Beautiful poinsettias👌. Nice information 👌

[@jueves-4]

Mine just died. Rest in peace poncettia 🙏

[@purplethumb7887]

I bought an abolutely GORGEOUS pink and off-white one this year. After seeing your video, I'm determined to try to bring it back for next year. Thank you!

[@courtneyelyse3]

I am curious on how your poinsettia does. I too bought the same pink creamy white poinsettia you described and I am wondering if it follows the same number of darkness and care described in the video. Or if it will turn red next year or naturally this dreamy color on its own?…

[@MBB9394]

I also bought the gorgeous pink ones. They had pink until spring, but I kept them in my courtyard along with tropical plants all through the summer and just took them in this week before the freeze. So now I feel I shouldn't cut them back because I only have two months until December. Not sure what to do.

[@jonscott4090]

I water mine every week or two and it's sitting in the window seems to be doing fine not sure if it will bloom again but we shall see

[@jessjohns8165]

I did the same exact thing. I didn’t have the heart to throw it out after Christmas so I left it in the window. I didn’t know to cover it but it’s the beginning of November in the Midwest and gets dark at 6:00pm and is still dark at 6:00am. So I’m not even going to bother covering it and maybe I’ll see some red blooms in a couple months 🤞

[@howardkerr8174]

Thank you for this video. I " rescued " 2 plants from my church the second week of January. 1 of the plants is doing quite well while the other, unfortunately, may not last. Apparently I have been watering a bit too much and certainly need to prune back the fading plant if I want to save it. BTW, as of April 20th I have had both plants 3 months and they were at church for a month before that. Thanks for the tips.

[@dear_darling]

this was an awesome share. thank you!

[@nedskiechannel3892]

Thank you so much for your information take care 👍👏👌

[@chriswheeler6092]

I have one that was given to a relative.I saw it in bad shape with all of the leaves dead and I decided to try and save it. I cut off the dead leaves and placed it on my grow table with my other plants. It grew new green leaves though they are small. Sometimes I like a challenge. I like to experiment with my plants and find better ways to do things.If your poinsettia has foil around the pot I would remove it. That is what I did.

[@TIME-sh7rl]

Thank you for sharing. 👍👍❤️❤️

[@kayBTR]

Mine is still in original plastic pot with gold foil decorative covering. I put it in a window that gets sun in the morning.i mist the top every morning, keep it moist. It’s probably 3 years old now. Even turns red in winter. I’m in Zone 8.

[@crochetgirl9429]

Thank you what a great video 😊

[@MrSamdevadas]

Excellent

[@iammaia1448]

wow very informative!

[@angelabaumhour5242]

A small piece of mine that I have had over 1 year broke off last summer so I just stuck it in dirt and it grew. By fall this little piece had red bracts on it. Simple. They get the same light all year and now the mother plant has tons of red bracts on it. Goes out in summer then in for winter.

[@donnar9864]

Ok, so I have a black thumb and my father in law just bought me a poinsettia.. mine will probably be dead by Christmas 🤣🤣🤣... My plant of choice is a cactus, and that may have a chance of passing away too 🤣🤣🤣

[@michelesanchez1769]

Do you give it water during the dark period

[@dorothybrown8859]

Did I somehow miss how often to water?

[@kjetillavallee5962]

I killed mine completely left it outside and it came to life

[@tinacarrier8221]

So my poinsettia was purchased in a pot with 3 other leafy plants that I want to keep alive. What I’m assuming is that I’ll need to remove the poinsettia from the arrangement and then continue along with the cutback and repotting that you demonstrated. That way I could possibly save both the leafy plants as well as the poinsettia. Does this sound right?

[@n.w.414]

So, in the 6 weeks of waiting for new growth, does it need light?

[@arboristable]

I think Ill follow Ed Laurence's advice and just financially support the Ontario horticultural industry and buy a new poinsettia every year. Sounds too complicated to keep it all year long.

[@ziggypop8106]

Can't see the nodes, not close enough

[@cjrrobins]

Are you cutting above or below the nodes?????

[@cillamoke]

Above

[@eileenbass952]

What do you mean when you say pinch?

[@eshoboshoaaharebyreshmi]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@lauristonlindsay]

Perhaps I missed how to water the pruned plant.. 🤔

[@koookeeez]

I can't see where you are cutting ✂️ where is the node?

[@Rebecca-zr3lu]

Blessings in an abundance of the faith. I salute you. 🫡😘✝️ Grace and peace be unto you and to this place. 🌹 If we are Lukewarm, He will spew us out of His mouth. I pray tongues of fire 🔥 over the church through the Holy Spirit. Will you believe and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior??? I do. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊❤❤❤🤍🤍🤍🪝🪝🪝🪝

[@crustythewanksock2413]

I have mine on a large west facing window ledge with loads of light, water it every day and have never cut anything from it or repotted it and it’s doing fine… I’m sure most of these gardeners just make stuff up to seem intelligent 🤣

[@lipschutz]

Where did you live? What is the average temperature in winter? I am curious, my one is dying a bit every day. (NL, Canada).

[@MBB9394]

That's harsh. He is standing in a commercial greenhouse. Do you think he doesn't know what he's doing? By cutting them back he stimulating them to grow for the next year. Of course taking care of an individual plant is a different

[@markfox13]

Won't a healthy plant just re-veg due to increased light hours and then go back into flower with light deprevation the next fall? what's the point of cutitng it back so extremely? is it just because you want to keep them tiny?

[@johndumadag9347]

they look like tall thin trees with leaves only at the very top when not pruned hard.

[@sandy_carpetsthesecond5013]

@@johndumadag9347 Why's that a bad thing? Turn your Christmas plant into a Christmas tree.

[@jencroy]

@@sandy_carpetsthesecond5013 But it doesn’t look like a tree. I just watched this video because I wanted to figure out what to do for my 20+ year old poinsettia. The branches are more than 4 feet long, but there are only leaves on the top 2-6 inches of those branches. It looks terrible!! That is what happens when you don’t prune the plants.

[@sandy_carpetsthesecond5013]

@@jencroy Poinsettias only grow leaves on the new growth of the plant and they don't bush out as your typical tree does. But it can still make a canopy, it just needs to get past its awkward growth phase. Consider planting it outside during summer if it's capable of surviving out there, Get that giant Miss Keisha plant and then once it gets passed a good enough size, trim the very top of it and it'll start branching out.

[@robertjwood7036]

Good informative video, the background music is unnecessary and VERY annoying

[@margaretzammit6728]

IF YOU REMOVE THE BOX WHEN YOU WAKE UP,THEY WILL SEE LIGHT,WHATS THE POINT

[@gavhinds8190]

Has anyone tried to turn one into a bonsai..

[@rameshkankriya4909]

my poinsettia plant leaves not getting Red ?

[@sunflower6434]

Put them in a dark spot for 15 hrs or more and in a week they will turn red.

[@asiatic254]

@@sunflower6434 Mine Not Turning Either @14hrs Will Increase To 16hrs

[@jonserletic732]

The background sound interferers with hearing your voices. Do you want to e heard or just be COOL.

[@MBB9394]

How ignorant of you. Can you not see that he's in a greenhouse? Carbon dioxide is pumped into all greenhouses all the time.