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I Kill Poinsettias

I don't even know why I buy poinsettias anymore. Well, actually I do---they look so Christmas-y when they hit the nurseries (and every other type of store) right after Thanksgiving that I can't resist. Somehow, every year I manage to forget the fact that I'm a poinsettia killer.

I've admitted before that I stink when it comes to houseplants. It's something I want to improve. But with poinsettias, I don't expect a houseplant I'm going to keep forever. I'm totally fine with throwing it in the compost pile once it looks like crap. I just wish my poinsettias would actually make it to Christmas before throwing in the towel.

Below is my current, pathetic victim. I've taken it out of the decorative pot it usually sits in so you can see how truly miserable it is. Sigh.

My husband and I were watching P. Allen Smith's Garden Home show on PBS this evening. It was about houseplants, and, since I'm determined to improve my methods, we watched. One of the first segments was on poinsettia care! Great---now I'll figure out what I'm doing wrong. So, we watch, and P. Allen says that poinsettias should have direct light, preferably from a south-facing window. "Ah ha!" I say--I've always had mine in the dining room, where it sits on a bookcase across the room from a north-facing window. "I won't do that next year." Then, P. Allen says "Don't let them dry out. Letting a poinsettia dry out even once will result in leaf drop, like this." At which time P. Allen shows us how easily leaves drop off of a dry poinsettia, and it looks so much like what my poinsettia does when we walk past it that we both have to laugh. P. Allen also helpfully reminds us not to overwater, but to keep the poinsettia evenly moist, and it will stay looking great. Gotcha. I'll try that next year. Maybe.

At least these poinsettias stay looking great. And I like this ornament even better now that I know that Carol has a matching one.

I'm sure some of you (all of you???) are better with poinsettias than I am. Any tips for next year? Or should I spare any future poinsettias the pain of coming home with me in the first place?



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Posted by Colleen Vanderlinden Comments: (19) Trackbacks: (0)

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Claudia L. Meydrech, CN said,

Saturday, December 22. 2007 at 00:12 (Link) (Reply)

What a wonderful blog! I'm going to post about your blog on my HerBulletin blog, it's not the blog that's linked to my name, but you'll find it in my blogroll there. It's about medicinal herbs and gardening :-)
Colleen Vanderlinden said,

Saturday, December 22. 2007 at 08:11 (Link) (Reply)

Welcome, Claudia!

Thank you! I'll be sure to stop by and take a look :-)
jodi said,

Saturday, December 22. 2007 at 00:36 (Link) (Reply)

Ah, we all kill poinsettias, my friend. Unless we live somewhere warm, like Florida or Mexico. They don't like drafts, of either hot OR cold air, and that will cause them to have hissy fits too. Just think of them as compost waiting to happen, enjoy them while they look good, and consign them to the compost heap in the sky when it's time!
Colleen Vanderlinden said,

Saturday, December 22. 2007 at 08:10 (Link) (Reply)

Hi Jodi,

Thanks for making me feel better! That's good advice, my friend :-)
MrBrownThumb said,

Saturday, December 22. 2007 at 01:15 (Link) (Reply)

I kill them too but I do it on purpose 'cause I don't like 'em. :-)
Colleen Vanderlinden said,

Saturday, December 22. 2007 at 08:08 (Link) (Reply)

MBT--

LOL They're not my favorites, either :-)
Pam/Digging said,

Saturday, December 22. 2007 at 01:46 (Link) (Reply)

I'm not really a fan of poinsettias even when they're looking their best. I much prefer amaryllis or paperwhites or Christmas cactus for holiday blooms. I do like your cute Xmas ornament though.
Colleen Vanderlinden said,

Saturday, December 22. 2007 at 08:04 (Link) (Reply)

Hi Pam!

Actually, I prefer paperwhites and amaryllis, too. Maybe I should just forget the poinsettia all together and force more bulbs instead :-)

Thanks for stopping by!
Carol said,

Saturday, December 22. 2007 at 09:35 (Link) (Reply)

Colleen, I like my boot ornament even better, too, knowing you also have one!

My tip on the poinsettias... shop the after Christmas sales and pick up a couple of really nice silk poinsettias. Really! You can use them to decorate and they never drop their leaves, even in a north window. Then spend your growing time on amaryllis and paperwhites.

Carol, May Dreams Gardens
Colleen Vanderlinden said,

Saturday, December 22. 2007 at 13:13 (Link) (Reply)

Hi Carol :-)

That sounds like the way for me to go!
Wicked Gardener said,

Saturday, December 22. 2007 at 09:47 (Link) (Reply)

I kill poinsettias too, and for that reason I don't like them too much. I have neighbors with more talent than myself who put them in the ground and let them grow into bushes.
Colleen Vanderlinden said,

Saturday, December 22. 2007 at 13:12 (Link) (Reply)

Hi Wicked Gardener :-)

If they die on us, they're probably not worth liking, anyway!

Thanks for stopping by!
marcie said,

Saturday, December 22. 2007 at 11:36 (Reply)

If they lose their leaves because you forget to water them, they will become leggy. If you catch them quick and keep them growing, you can cut them back drastically (I do one branching stalk at a time, and let new growth come up before attempting the other stalks). This will result in more compact healthier plants that will live year round and are really quite nice.
They won't be red anymore, just a nice green plant that will bush out.
I never liked them either, but used to pull half-dead ones out of the trash when I saw them, because I felt bad for them and give them a second chance. They always did very well.
Good luck.
Colleen Vanderlinden said,

Saturday, December 22. 2007 at 13:00 (Link) (Reply)

Great tips, Marcie! I have the distinct impression that you are a much more patient woman than I :-)
Mr. McGregor's Daughter said,

Sunday, December 23. 2007 at 00:03 (Link) (Reply)

I'm a houseplant killer, too. I don't even bother to buy poinsettias - I visit the 1s my mom buys. Follow Carol's sage advice & invest in the realistic silk 1s. They look good anywhere & never get leggy.
Curtis said,

Sunday, December 23. 2007 at 15:42 (Link) (Reply)

I am the world worse about forgetting the houseplants. They never suffer from over watering thats for sure! I think it all depends how the Poinsettias are treated in preparation for sale.

I have keep some of mine on the counter and not in direct sunlight and they still have their leaves. I also bought a few from a local greenhouse and they look dreadful a week later.

Sometimes the growers don't accustom them to lower light levels(like in our homes) before they ship them.
Nan Ondra said,

Tuesday, December 25. 2007 at 13:57 (Link) (Reply)

Hi Colleen! I'm with Carol and MMD--go for silk ones next year, if you must. Or better yet, just enjoy the plants elsewhere during the holidays and then be grateful you don't have to deal with them after Christmas. Life's too short to feel guilty about doomed poinsettias! And wouldn't it be better to spend the money on a plant you could enjoy in your garden--or maybe on that seed-starting mat you've been thinking of? I hope you and your family are enjoying a wonderful holiday, poinsettias or no poinsettias!
Kim said,

Tuesday, December 25. 2007 at 16:45 (Link) (Reply)

Merry Christmas to you, Mr. Colleen, the girls and Baby V! :-) I hope that you're having a wonderful holiday.

As far as the poinsettias go, I've never much liked them although I did cave in and buy a funky one this year with variegated foliage and lacy bracts. My friend the houseplant expert at the garden center says to make sure that the actual flowers aren't opened already when you buy them, either. (If those little "buttons" in the middle of the flower-looking bracts have little threads coming out of them, the plant is already in bloom and won't last as long.)

(Like my highly technical explanation?! lol.)
Layanee said,

Wednesday, December 26. 2007 at 21:08 (Link) (Reply)

Colleen: Well, my advice on poinsettias is... enjoy them during the season and then let them hit the compost pile! Seasonal plants often look awful out of season. I have always heard and read that poinsettias like bright, indirect light but then again, in the winter months that is probably a south window! LOL and Merry Christmas!

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