6 Tips for the Perfect Poinsettia

Follow these 6 easy tips to keep your poinsettia happy and healthy during and after the holidays:

1. When you buy your poinsettia, make sure it is wrapped properly. Exposure to low temperatures even for a few minutes can damage the bracts and leaves.

2. Place in indirect light. Six hours of light daily is ideal.

3. Keep it away from warm or cold drafts from radiators, registers, doors, and windows.

4. Poinsettias prefer daytime temperatures of 60°F to 70°F and night temperatures around 55°F. High temperatures will shorten the plant's life.

5. Check the soil daily. Water when soil is dry to the touch. Punch holes in the foil so water can drain into a saucer.

6. Fertilize the poinsettia after it finishes blooming (once the colorful bracts begin to fade) if you keep it past the holiday season. Apply a houseplant fertilizer once a month.