How to Grow Euphorbia Pulcherrima

Care During Holiday Season

• 1

  Place your poinsettia near a brightly lit window. Poinsettias are tropical, and need good light.

• 2

  Maintain temperatures between 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, and keep nighttime temperature above 60 F for the best color and bloom. Cold drafts or leaves against a cold window cause the plant to drop its leaves.

• 3

  Water the poinsettia when the surface of the soil feels dry, and water until fluid drains out the bottom of the pot. Do not allow the poinsettia to sit in a tray of water, dump out excess.

• 4

  Mist your poinsettia daily. Dry air will cause the leaves to turn brown or fall from the plant.

Care After the Holidays

• 5

  Poinsettias planted outdoors will not bloom right at Christmas time the following year. Their natural flowering time is late fall.

• 6

  Plant the poinsettia outdoors after any danger of frost has passed. Choose a spot that gets full sun in the morning, light shade in the afternoon. Poinsettia is damaged by wind, so choose a spot near a wall that will serve as a windbreak.

• 7

  Grow the plant in well-drained, rich soil that has been amended with mulch or potting soil. If water pools in the planting location, your poinsettia will rot.

• 8

  Water when soil at plant's base is dry to the touch. Apply liquid fertilizer once per month.

• 9

  Prune the poinsettia every month by pinching out the growing tips of the stems. This controls plant growth, and encourages more flowers to develop. Stop pinching the plant after the middle of August, and let it grow naturally.