How do you take care of poinsettias so that they will bloom next Christmas?

You have to let them go dormant for many months, keeping them in the dark. I'm not sure if you continue to water them or let them dry out. They will lose all their leaves and look like dead twigs sticking out of the pot but then they start to bud again.

How do you take care of poinsettias so that they will bloom next Christmas?
after they have bloomed, cut off brackets


they need to be watered and put in a dark closet, or a paper bag well vented. ignore it for months(exept water it once or twice). get it out in may and it will rebloom
Reply:I agree with the first part of Koi's answer. Don't pinch it back the second time until October 1st. This time you pinch it half way back. Now put it in a closet or somewhere where it will get absolutely no light for 14 hours a night. Give it 10 hours of light daily. As the new growth comes in it will be red or whatever color your poinsettia is. You can bring it out and treat it like a regular houseplant again for the holidays. Then you start all over again.
Reply:After the Holidays





With proper care, your poinsettia can last long past the holiday season. Here's how:





By early April, when the colored bracts begin to turn or fall, cut the plant back leaving four to six buds. Keep the plant near a sunny window, water and fertilize regularly, and by the end of May, you should see vigorous new growth. Cut your plant back again around July 4th and again by Labor Day to promote compact, full growth. Continue to nurture your plant as Autumn nears.


The Poinsettia begins to set buds and produce flowers as the nights become longer. Beginning October 1, keep the plant in complete darkness for 14 continuous hours each night by moving plants into a dark room or placing a large box over them. During the day, allow six to eight hours of bright sunlight. Continue this for eight to ten weeks, and your plants will develop a colorful display of holiday blooms!
Reply:Treat them like a regular house plant. Put them into the brightest window you have; maybe even put them out in morning sun/afternoon shade in your yard all summer.


Now this is the hard part, especially if you live in a climate where the nights drop below 35 degrees early. Starting in October, they must NOT get ANY artificial light whatsoever, ONLY natural sunlight. Just putting them in the closet will not work, because they still need the natural sunlight. And, even one night, when even one flashlight beam, hits them, will keep them from blooming for Christmas. Leave them outside in a part of the yard without floodlights or anything until temps fall below 40 degrees. Then move them into a vacant room where you can sit them in the window. You must NEVER go in there and turn on the light at night. Once they begin to show good red bracts, you should be home free, and the ban on artificial light can be lifted.
Reply:fertilize them every month and water when needed and you should have a nice poinsetta. if you need any more answers you can always ask a nursery and they will also help you.