Poinsettia Care Tips
Poinsettias are the ultimate holiday flower. They come in beautiful blooms that give off a relaxing, joyful and pleasant feel. For many years, poinsettias have been used as holiday gift choices for the home, office, or other similar locations. And with over 150 different varieties and a wide range of color options available, you can explore your options to achieve a personal touch during the holidays.
Poinsettias are flowers native to Southern Mexico. Therefore, taking care of them during the winter can be challenging. These flowers need the right temperature, water, and sunlight conditions to remain blooming throughout the holiday season. And with proper care, poinsettias can remain healthy well into the spring and summer.
A little background about Poinsettias
Even before you know how to keep your poinsettias blooming this holiday season, you should first understand the nature of these unique flowers. Poinsettias have a rich history that begins in Southern Mexico. The ancient Aztecs used poinsettias (and other parts of the plant) to create dyes for clothes and medicine for treating fevers.
The flower also became symbolic of Christmas based on ancient Mexican legends. Since this time, poinsettias have been associated with Christmas and holiday flowers.
If you’re looking for a present for your loved ones in NYC this holiday season, you can’t go wrong with poinsettias. Scotts Flowers in NYC stocks the highest quality poinsettias in the area. Because we handpick all our flowers, we ensure that each flower we select is draped in fresh evergreens and a natural décor.
Caring for Poinsettias
Once you obtain some fresh poinsettias from Scotts, how can you keep them alive throughout the holiday season? Here are 5 useful tips to help you get started.
- Start by making the right purchasing decision
Proper care for poinsettias begins as soon as you receive the flowers. You should carefully inspect the plant for any signs of unhealthy parts that may affect the bloom moving forward. A healthy poinsettia has the following characteristics:
- The leaves should be fully colored without green edges
- Green, blossoming leaves with minimal yellow parts
- A fully balanced plant from all sides
- No drooping parts in the plant
When taking your poinsettias home from the store, avoid exposing them to cold weather. These native Mexican flowers are highly sensitive to cold temperatures. If transporting the plants yourself, cover them up before you take them outside. In addition, gusts of hot and cold wind can cause the leaves to droop. Keep the plant away from heating outlets (such as your car or home’s heating vents) or open windows.
At Scotts, we can make sure you get started with the holiday season on the right foot. Our poinsettias are handpicked from trusted suppliers locally and internationally. Our quality florists also carefully inspect each flower to make sure it’s healthy enough to bloom through the holiday season and beyond.
- Water it the right way
Now that you have a quality plant for the holiday season, the next step is to water it the right way. Each flower has unique watering needs, and poinsettias are no different. As flowers native to warm climates, poinsettias are not fond of a lot of water. Too much water tends to drown the roots and kill the plant over time. Remember that less is always more with poinsettias.
So how do you know the plant needs water? Check to see if the soil is dry when touching. After watering, drain any excess pools of water at the bottom of the vase or holding container. For plants that are wrapped in foil, create a hole at the bottom to allow excess water to drain. In a nutshell, use the following cues when watering your poinsettias:
- Water when the soil is dry to the touch
- Add a small pint of water every 2 days (or dip the plant in water once a week)
- Ensure proper drainage by removing excess water
- Carefully inspect the leaves on a frequent basis (no yellow or leaves falling off)
- Get the temperature right
As warm weather plants, your poinsettias need proper warmth and light during the holiday season. Cold temperatures can cause the roots to freeze out or wilt. Ideally, the plant does best in temperatures of between 15- 20 degrees Celsius (59- 68F). Since this is the ideal room temperature in most NYC homes, you shouldn’t have much trouble keeping the plant warm. However, avoid placing the plant near fireplaces, open windows, or open doorways. These areas experience frequent gusts of wind that can speed up wilting in the leaves. Poinsettias also love a humid environment. You can recreate such conditions by placing the plant near other poinsettias (or adjacent to other plants) in your home or office.
Remember that the goal is to keep your flowers in a temperature range that closely resembles their native environment. With the cold winters of NYC, keeping the plant outdoors may not be a good idea (unless you can sustain temperatures of 68F and above). And if you choose to keep the plant near a window, make sure the windowpane is properly sealed to prevent leaking air.
What if the leaves are falling off?
If you notice any drooping, yellowing, or leaves falling off the poinsettia plant, this is a sign that current environmental conditions are not favorable. However, such cases can be easily fixed if you detect the problem early enough.
Before you panic about your precious poinsettias, start by checking the current environmental conditions. Warm and dry conditions are the primary cause of leaf drop from poinsettias. Keep the plant in a cool area with no frequent drafts of air coming in. Make sure you also water the plant according to the directions above.
- Ensure proper Sunlight
As with any other plant, poinsettias need sunlight to remain healthy. During winter, they thrive best in bright, filtered sunlight. If you have southward facing windows, you can place the plant near such windows for the best results.
However, if you’re looking to have your poinsettias re-bloom, you will need to control how much sunlight the plant receives. These plants need 12 hours of darkness in the fall and right before winter season hits. In NYC, extended periods of light during the fall can interfere with the plant’s ability to re-bloom. Cover the plant with a box if necessary to create a sufficiently dark environment for the required time period. After the plant re-blooms, you can return to your original winter care routine. The best blooming conditions for the plant are when it’s under a cool, humid environment with bright and indirect sunlight.
While it can be tricky to sustain your poinsettias through two holiday seasons; controlling light, temperature and water conditions are the best way to achieve this goal. And by selecting poinsettias from Scotts in NYC, you can be sure that you’re starting off with high-quality flowers.
- Care tips for Spring
After the holiday season is over, you can still keep your poinsettias in healthy condition as you prepare to have them re-bloom. The uplifting and warm nature of poinsettias can still radiate throughout your home or office even after the holiday season is over. For spring care, make sure the plant is in a sunny and well-watered area. Ideal soil conditions for the poinsettia are well draining and slightly acidic soils.
After the holidays, it’s a good idea to supply a fresh pot of soil to the plant so it can have sufficient nutrients. You can also keep the flowers outside if temperatures are warm enough.
Make sure you keep the plant at proper height during the spring and summer. If necessary, trim the branches to no more than 6 inches from the rim of the pot. You should also pinch the tips of the plant to encourage more branches to grow. By the time winter comes around, you’ll have a fresh bloom to usher in the holiday season.
Get your Poinsettias from Scotts Flowers in NYC
Ready to spice up the holiday season? Consider getting your poinsettias from Scotts Flowers in NYC. Whether for personal use or giving them as a present to your loved ones, our poinsettias are among the highest quality in NYC. We freshly source each plant under the guidance of our experienced florists. And because we’ve been in the business since 1947, we know what a quality poinsettia looks like. While in store, we keep these plants under conditions as ideal as their native South Mexican counterparts.
Keeping poinsettias alive in NYC starts from where you acquired the plant itself. Scotts never comprises on quality, and we can help you keep your poinsettias blooming for more than one holiday season. Try our red or white poinsettias placed in a 6.5-inch birch park pot. The fresh evergreens and natural décor that overhang these plants will breathe life into your holiday season experience.
To explore what we have in stock, please call (800) 726 – 8874 or click here to shop!