If you’ve been shopping lately you’ve noticed all the Christmas decorations gracing the isles of the store. ( It’s hard to miss them, they have been out since before Halloween?!) If your like me you’ve probably brought a few home. Most of them are rather durable and require little fussing over them to keep them looking their best. But the poinsettia is a different story. Each year I walk past the poinsettias and am sucked in by their beauty. The large red petals and the deep green foliage are just too pretty to pass up. After I take it home I immediately start worry how I will possibly keep this thing alive. Too little water, too much water, heat, cold, light and fertilizer, all effect the health of this holiday beauty. Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth all the work.

If you find yourself like me wanting to bring a poinsettia home this year follow these helpful tips. With a little luck, these tips will help you keep your poinsettia looking it’s best this holiday season.

Light – Like all flowers poinsettias need their daily dose of sunlight. They require about 6 hours of indirect sun light daily. Keep them in an area where they are exposed to light and protected from drafts.

Water – Water is a sensitive subject when it comes to the poinsettia. They enjoy their water but don’t like to soak in it. Avoid over watering them. Water this plant when the soil in the container has become dry about 2 inches deep.

Temperature – These flowers are sensitive to hot and cold. Drastic changes in the weather will show on the leaves and petals of this plant. For best results try to keep the room between 65 and 70 degrees during the day and 55 to 65 degrees at night.

Fertilizer – A little all purpose fertilizer applied once a week will feed your poinsettia and keep it happy and healthy through out the holidays.