Help your holiday decor last all through the new year with these tips from the experts at Northeast Nursery:

• Poinsettia Care
• Live Christmas Tree Care and Planting

Caring for Your Poinsettia at Home

Poinsettias must be cared for properly to insure that they flower well for a long time. Water so that the planting mix is kept consistently moist. Do not let the soil become soggy or overly dry as this will stress the plant and decrease flowering time. A plant that has its pot wrapped in decorative foil is at risk for over-watering. Punch holes in the foil to let water drain through. Do not let the poinsettia sit in a saucer full of water.

Keep the plant in a cool room (65-70°F) during the day and drop the night temperatures another five degrees if possible. This will help to extend the flowering time. Place the plant where it will not be affected by either hot or cold drafts. Plants kept in drafty areas may experience early leaf drop.

Give the plant good light. Bright, indirect light is ideal. The plant can be placed in direct sunlight but this may increase its water needs. North facing windows get very little light and should be avoided.

After the holiday season is over, you may want to keep the plant for next year. During the winter, maintain the poinsettia as you would any other houseplant: give it good light, regular watering and a monthly treatment with fertilizer. In spring, cut the stems back to 4-6 inches tall to stimulate new growth. If you prefer not to maintain the plant through winter, you can withhold water until the leaves drop and store the plant at about 60°F, with minimal watering until spring. In spring, cut stems back as described above and begin watering again. After new growth begins, pinch out the tips of the stems, if they appear to be growing too tall or leggy.

In summer, the plant can be kept indoors or placed outside. If placed outside, start it out in a partially shaded area and gradually move it to full sun after about two weeks. Fertilize as you would other houseplants. In fall, bring the plant indoors before night temperatures drop below 60°F.

Living Christmas Tree Care and Planting

If you purchase a living tree rather than a cut tree, you will have many future years to watch your tree grow. How it is cared for before, during and after the holiday, will have a major impact on it survivability. Please follow these steps to assure the health and beauty of your tree for years to come:

• Pre-dig the hole where it is going to be installed. Take the soil and incorporate planting mix with it. Store it in a dry area. Cover the hole with a board so no one falls in.
• Once you purchase the tree keep it outside and continue watering it so it doesn’t dry out.
• Move it into a room or garage that is slightly warmer than the outside but cooler than the room you intend to leave it in for the holiday season for a few days.
• Then move it to a room that does not get very hot. Do not put the tree near a heater or radiator.
• Keep the plant in your house for no more than 7 days. The longer you keep it inside the more chance of it not surviving the upcoming winter.
• Decorate the tree as you would a cut tree and be sure to keep the plant well watered.
• After the holidays, reverse the steps above and bring it into that cooler room for a few days before going outdoors.
• Try to install the plant on a milder day. Plant the tree according to our planting instructions. Water the plant after installation and place 3-6” of bark mulch around the plant for the first winter.
• If you could not install the plant then keep plant outside in a protected area and mulch the root system very deeply. This will insulate the roots for the upcoming winter.
• In the spring take back the mulch to a 2-3” depth. Make sure the plant did not heave out of the ground. Water the plant as needed for the rest of the growing season.

Please note: All living trees are not guaranteed, because of the erratic temperature changes from outdoors to indoors and back out doors again.

Return to top