My Poinsettia is unhappy

[2labs2luv]

My church was giving away poinsettias that were used during the Christmas season. I brought it home, stuck it in a south window and made sure the soil was moist. My problem: the leaves are wilting, turning brown, and hanging dead from the branch. What am I doing wrong or what went wrong before I got the plant.

[rainbowgardener]

Poinsettias are very difficult to keep going anyway... most of them are probably just pitched after Christmas. If I had to guess, I would think over watering. The best luck I have had with keeping poinsettias going is lots of benign neglect and letting it dry out pretty much between waterings.

[lily51]

Also depends on the variety as to how well it does.
What's interesting is to see them growing in the wild
When we work so hard to try to keep them going!

[Grow2girl]

Hello 2labs2love,

I'm Grow2girl and I work for The Home Depot, in garden. Sounds like you might have an overwatering problem on your hands. Is your plant in a pot with a pot cover? Make sure the poinsettia does not sit in water and allow it to dry slightly in-between watering’s. It is possible that the roots are rotted by your description however to give it a last effort, remove any excess water, trim the dead leaves off and allow it to be in bright, indirect light. Good Luck!

[dustyrivergardens]

sounds to me like you did not harden them off to direct sun light and scorched there leaves. if you get another one give it a little direct sun light say an hour the first day a little longer the next so on so on for about a week to 10 days. should be good from there.

[Tonio]

get them out of that crappy peat mix. down in So cal, we can grow them outside-heck most Poinsettia are grow in my county in Encinitas. In the yard they are like lancky bushes. quite o few in town about 6-10' tall.
They do not like wet feet.

T