Caring for your poinsettia

Poinsettias are a gorgeous Christmas plant. Many people find they start to die away after the festive season is over, but with the right care, poinsettias can keep giving you colourful bracts. Here’s how;

• Make sure you choose a healthy plant that has been kept away from draughts so all you have to do it water it over the festive period
• Don’t overwater them, they prefer to be on the drier side.
• You should only water them when the surface of the compost is dry. Water the plant from the bottom, never from the top.
• Into the new year, you can feed your poinsettia with a tomato feed once a month to keep it going. Don’t worry if they start to lose some of their leaves, it’s a normal cycle in January and February
• Come April, prune back the plants to about 10cm and keep at a temperature of around 13C
• In early May, repot the poinsettia, using a mix of 3 parts compost with one part grit and grow them in a light, cool place throughout summer – keeping them at a temperature of 15C – 18C
• To ensure your poinsettia will bloom for Christmas they will need their days shortened – starting in September. They need on average 8-10 weeks of short days (aim for less than 12 hours of light.
• Cover the plant or place in a dark room after twelve hours of daylight every day and protected from artificial light sources keeping them at a constant temperature of 18C

If you decide to give it a go, send us your results!