Anna of Anna's Island Style called out for help a few days ago. No, not a mayday or SOS from her Scilly island but a call for help with poinsettias. She was looking for care advice on how to get them to survive past Christmas.
Well of course, I leapt in with my thoughts. And I'd like to share my thoughts with you too, as you may be struggling to keep your poinsettia alive in the weeks after Christmas.
My message is keep it light-touch with poinsettias. Be aware that they are there but don't fuss over them.
Greenfingered I am not, but whereas most poinsettia plants seem to die pretty quickly after the holiday period, I have been striking it lucky with this Christmas plant of late. I had one which lasted a couple of years. It eventually shed all it's leaves and never grew them back so it sadly got thrown on the heap a couple of years ago 😢.
A year later, November 2016, the lovely cat sitters left me a poinsettia.
It's got big - that's a wine bottle next to it.
It's leaves turned green some weeks after Christmas 2016.
I think they need to be kept away from light in order to maintain their redness.
I kept mine in the kitchen, in the spot they had left it for me.
This isn't the spot, it's normally on the island unit but as this was its first-ever photoshoot, I had to take it to an exotic location - the countertop 3 feet away!
The plant is out of direct sunlight but gets plenty of it indirectly as the kitchen is a light room.
It occasionally sheds leaves, so it does get a bit leggy. But I love that I have now kept two poinsettias going for longer than most of their mates out in the wider world.
I only water when it looks like it needs it, when I check the soil and its dry, or simply when I remember it's still there!
They do not like overwatering. The soil here is a bit too soggy.
It's still in its original pot, so is maybe getting a bit root-bound as it's easily twice it's original size. But I don't dare to re-pot it. If it ain't broke ...
I just leave it where it is, letting it feel like part of the family in its central position. I think it appreciates that.
So, this elegant plant can be your leafy mate for a few years - a poinsettia is not just for Christmas
A la perchoine.
