• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Home Garden Joy
  • Home
  • How to Garden
    • Seed Starting
    • Plant Profiles
    • Tools & Equipment
    • Raised Bed Gardening
  • Vegetables
  • Fruit
  • Herbs
  • About
    • Books & Classes
      • Herbalism Classes
      • Books for Christian Herbalists
      • Privacy Policy

How to Get a Poinsettia to Bloom

December 22, 2017 by Jeanne

I was able to get a poinsettia to bloom!

Well, it’s not technically a flower…but it still looks a lot like Christmas here in my office.

Poinsettias are ‘ditch weeds’ in their native Mexico, wild native plants that thrive in ditches, along roadways and meadows. They can grow up to 16 feet tall in their natural environment Thank goodness our Christmas plants don’t get that big!

Many people obtain a poinsettia at Christmas time, either as a gift or for holiday decorations. Look for poinsettia that has dark green leaves and colorful center leaves still intact. If there’s a little yellow dust on the leaves near the center, it’s a sign that the plant isn’t fresh – that’s the pollen emitted from the true flowers, those small yellow centers.

get a poinsettia to bloom
The closed buds in the center are actually flowers. The colorful “flowers” on a poinsettia are bracts or modified leaves.

Your poinsettia will need six hours or more of bright, indirect sunlight a day. Place them in areas that avoid drafts – they hate sudden changes in temperature. Steady 65- 70 degree temperatures, common indoors in most homes during the winter months, are fine for the poinsettia. Water frequently since the plants love moist, although not soggy, soil.

Get a Poinsettia to Bloom

Now, how do you get a poinsettia to bloom again?

From October 1 to December 1, poinsettia need a strict routine of darkness and light in order for the bracts to turn colors again. At dusk, cover the plant, or put it in a room that has complete darkness for 13 to 16 hours a night. You can cover the plant with a cardboard box or move it to a little-used room in your house where there are no artificial lights to disrupt the cycle. By December 1, the poinsettia should show its colorful leaves again.

Caring for Poinsettia

After Christmas, your plant should retain its colorful modified leaves, called bracts, for several weeks. These will gradually shrivel up and drop off when the plant puts its energy into growth.

Keep your poinsettia in a brightly lit room and water when soil becomes dry. In the springtime, when night temperatures remain steadily above 55 degrees F, move your plant outside. I keep mine on the porch where it receives bright but indirect light and daily water.

You can cut back the plant in March or April if you wish to keep it small. Pinch the plant back in June, July, and August to keep it nice and compact. To pinch, use your fingertips and gently “pinch” the tiny new leaves off of the plant. Cutting it back and pinching help it retain a bushy shape. I forgot to do that this year and mine looks a bit straggly.

My office poinsettia.

I don’t fertilize my poinsettia, but a light application of water-soluble 20-20-20 once a month should be fine. Stop fertilizing around October 1 to encourage those pretty flowers.

Poinsettia became the flowers of Christmas early in the 20th century thanks to clever California growers. Today, it’s one of the best-known symbols of the holidays. Merry Christmas!

Filed Under: House Plants

Previous Post: « Does Snow Hurt the Garden or Plants?
Next Post: Garden Trends 2018 »

Primary Sidebar

Let’s Connect!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram

As Seen in Porch

 As Seen in Porch

We were featured in Porch.com and answered reader's questions about indoor plants.

Explore All Gardening Articles

a zucchini growing in a raised bed

Growing Zucchini in Raised Beds

kale growing in a raised bed

Replenishing Raised Bed Garden Soil

raised bed garden

How to Build a Vegetable Garden Using Raised Beds

a watering can next to a seed tray on a sidewalk

What Veggies Can I Plant Now?

Herbalism Classes & Supplies

Goods Shop by Herbal Academy – botanically inspired products

Disclosure

Home Garden Joy participates in two affiliate programs: Amazon and The Herbal Academy. Home Garden Joy earns a commission from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate. As an Herbal Academy Associate, HGJ also earns a commission when you sign up for classes or purchase herbs or supplies from The Herbal Academy. Herbal information and recipes on this site are provided for educational purposes only.

Footer

butternut squash growing in a raised garden bed

How to Grow Butternut Squash Organically

Learning how to grow butternut squash organically ensures you know how to grow this tasty, nutritious vegetable in your home garden. I’ll share with you some basic information on growing butternut squash, followed by some organic gardening tips that have been helpful for me here at Seven Oaks Farm in dealing with the various pests…

Read More

herbs in a pink dish

How to Make the Perfect Cup of Herbal Tea

Make the perfect cup of herbal tea, right from your own garden! In May, I gave two free talks on how to grow, harvest, dry, and create your very own herbal teas. This lecture proved so popular that I recorded the narration and uploaded it to YouTube. You can view it below: Supplies to Make…

Read More

tent caterpillars on a pear tree

How to Get Rid of Tent Caterpillars

I spent last Saturday morning getting rid of Eastern tent caterpillars from the apple and pear trees in the orchard here on the farm. Malacosoma americanum, the Eastern tent caterpillar, is a regular visitor each spring. We first spot the shimmery webs on a clear spring day. The small ‘tents’ built by the caterpillars quickly…

Read More

kale growing in a raised bed

Replenishing Raised Bed Garden Soil

Raised bed vegetable garden soil soil needs to be replenished periodically. If you’ve done your job right and selected great soil, and amended it with nice compost, you’re going to have super garden soil for the first few years. Because you don’t walk on a raised bed garden the way that you do with typical…

Read More

  • Privacy Policy
  • About
  • Awards

Copyright © 2025 Home Garden Joy on the Foodie Pro Theme