A healthy poinsettia plant will have intact bracts. If the little yellow buds between the coloured bracts โ the actual flowers โ still look tight then you’ll know that the quality of the poinsettia plant is good.
When you’ve chosen and bought your poinsettia, make sure to wrap it up in paper for the journey home to protect it from draughts and temperatures below 12 degrees Celsius. This will protect it from damage that is initially invisible but can lead to premature loss of leaves after a few days.
Positioning your Poinsettia
Poinsettias need warmth and light. It can be kept close to a radiator but it must be kept away from draughts (that means noย fireplaces, open doorways, or open windows. Try to place poinsettias in a sheltered spot.
Watering a poinsettia plant
Poinsettias don’t like a lot of water. Always remember that the plant’s root bale should neither dry out nor be drenched. Overwatering can quickly lead to waterlogging, which in turn causes root rot and leaves and kill the plant.
You should get into habit of inspecting its leaves. If they’re turning yellow or falling off, you’re probably not watering it right.
You should water your poinsettia plant when the soil is noticeably dry. This could be every day in the case of a plant near aย radiatorย in a dry room, or only every second or third day in other spots. How to check? Carefully lift up the plant; If it feels light, itโs time to water.
Poinsettias prefer room-temperature water, andย smaller pots needย wateringย more often than big ones because they dry out faster. For a standard pot with a diameter of 13cm, give it no more than a small glass of water, i.e. around 0.2 litres; this prevents large pores in the soil from clogging up and waterlogging. Mini poinsettias should not be given more than one shot glass of water. Remove any excess water that is still in the planter after 10 minutes.