Use these care tips to plant a poinsettia outside and keep it going until next Christmas.
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In their tropical native environment,poinsettiasgrow outside as a shrub orsmall tree.
But can poinsettias be planted outside in areas with a more temperate climate?
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Here’s everything you should probably know to grow poinsettias outside.
The green foliage remains from spring through fall, so poinsettias can begrown as a houseplantyear-round.
Keep poinsettias inbright, indirect lightstreaming in from a window facing east, west, or south.
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Water and fertilize plants regularly with a houseplant fertilizer.
Trim the foliage back by half of its length or more to rein in a rangy plant.
Think of this outdoor adventure as a summer vacation.
Then move it to a spot with direct sunlight.
Be mindful of wind exposurepoinsettia stems are weak and easily broken by strong winds.
Choose a growing spot that is protected from wind gusts.
Water Well
The soil around potted plants growing outdoors dries out quicker than it would indoors.
High temperatures and wind can dry out a potted poinsettia plant in a single day.
Plan towater your outdoor poinsettiadaily during hot, dry conditions.
If the soil surface is dry to the touch, its time to water.
Don’t Forget Fertilizer
Poinsettias are actively growing during the summer months.
New stems and leaves appear weekly.
Provide plenty of nutrients to fuel all the growth by fertilizing every two weeks or so with ahouseplant fertilizer.
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7.
Give the Plant a Trim
In summer poinsettias grow tall and lanky by nature.
Keep them more compact for indoor enjoyment by cutting long stems back by half their length.
Numerous side branches are essential for a lush, full appearance.
This top growth trimming is often called pinching in the horticulture trade.
Poinsettias are frost sensitive.
Just a touch of frost will blacken the leaves and kill stems.
Play it safe and move your plant inside long before the chance of frost.
Go Dark
Poinsettias need at least 13 hours of complete darkness daily to spur their leaves to change color.
Bright sunlight is required for good growth the other 11 hours of the day.
Once color is visible on the leaves, 13 hours of darkness are not necessary.
