Poinsettia care?

I received a huge poinsettia this holiday season. I would love to keep it alive. are there any pointers I need to know to keep a florist plant from dying?

Poinsettia care?
Strore bought ones last longer if you keep them cool but not cold. They like the soil low moisture but not dry - so watch for drainage. Muted light. Most that are very spectacular have been force fed to 'bloom' this way and once that bloom is over they go into a shock state and are almost impossible to keep alive. In the tropics they grow like bushes to huge sizes. They are a different deal all together than these specimen store ones.
Reply:well water it evary day thats all I know hope it serves you good
Reply:Don't let it dry to the point it is like a brick or water will not be absorbed again. Water throughly enough to let water come out the bottom. Sunny location not needed just some light. Watch out for little knats - ugh.
Reply:care for as you would any other house plant sunny location and water when soil is dry
Reply:DO NOT OVER WATER AND ONLY WATER WHEN DIRT IS DRY TO TOUCH THE WATER HAS TO BE WARM TAP WATER AND KEEP IT IN A WARM DRY PLACE
Reply:This first thing you need to do to keep a houseplant alive is learn something about it. Where does it come from? What is the temperature like there? How much water does it get naturally? These are the questions that will keep your plant healthy for a long time.





Poinsettias are from Mexico and the Caribbean. The temperature there is rather warm and it is humid. There is good drainage in the soil and there is lots of light. This is what you want to duplicate in your house.





1) Put it in a warm and sunny location


2) Keep it slightly moist, but never soggy





When the leaves start to fall, cut it back to about 1/2 to 1/3 its original size. It will look bare. Keep it watered slightly and it will start putting out new leaves. Soon you will have a pretty green plant.





Remember that the red is not blooms but is actually a form of the leaf. The blooms are those tiny yellow things in the middle of the red "brackets" (or leaves).





If you are lucky and keep the plant in good day light and very dark at night, you will probably get blooms a second year. If you live where it is warm in the winter, you can plant it in the yard and it may bloom more than once before next December.