How do I keep my poinsettia alive??? I have been told that they will live longer than just the holidays...?

but I need to know how much i should water it and if I need to trim it or anything. Do they like direct sunlight? What temperature should they be at? Thanks so much. The one I have is purple and it's beautiful and I would like to keep it alive.

How do I keep my poinsettia alive??? I have been told that they will live longer than just the holidays...?
Poinsettias are a tropical plant. They need warm temperatures ( between 65 -70 degrees) and bright indirect sunlight. Water when the soil is slightly dry to the touch. Over-watering can cause root rot...underwatering will cause leaf and bract (the colorful part of the plant) drop. Also, you will want to protect from drafts and heat sources. Don't prune it until it is completely done flowering and the colorful bracts start to fall off. The plant will look a little on the splindley side at this point. Poinsettias are not a plant that you can get to re-flower to look like it did when you bought it. That takes a regimen of complete darkness at night (more than 12 hours of it) vs bright daylight.


Hope this helps!
Reply:good question. i have kept mine all the way up till march with bracks (the red leaves) still in place. i recommend keeping the plant warm. 65f - 75f . if the soil gets to cold for to long do not keep soaking wet. this is bad. and indirect light is best. full sun could fade the color, and dry the plant to fast. try to avoid wilting and soak. wilting,and soak. also bad for the plant. the flowers also will eventually become moldy. just pinch off when this happens. i used to grow 100,000 every year. lots of work but fun at the end seeing all that color. good luck
Reply:Just water enough to keep moist. Thats the most important thing. Keep it away from areas that change in temp too, like near a heater.
Reply:http://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Poinsettias-...
Reply:I just treat them like other houseplants. they grow to be a huge tree looking green bush, beautiful foliage, but they are hard to get to flower again.