Poinsettia: 3 care tips to get red leaves before Christmas and when to start keeping it in the dark

Want your poinsettia to turn red again in time for Christmas? Discover how to manage its exposure to light and darkness during spring and what care it needs to develop its colorful bracts. We're used to buying poinsettias at their peak and watching their leaves fall off as soon as the Christmas holidays are over. For poinsettias, the transition from greenhouse to store and finally to our homes isn't always easy. After growing under carefully controlled environmental conditions and a specific fertilization regimen, the plant may experience stress that causes its leaves to drop. Many people assume the plant is dead, but with proper care, it can survive, resume growth, and produce new green leaves. Now, after a summer of careful attention, we're looking forward to seeing its bracts regain their color. Here are three tips to help your poinsettia look beautiful again by Christmas and prevent a year's worth of care from going to waste. 1.

This excerpt comes from the named source. Read the original for the full reporting.