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I asked my grandfather if he knew how to take care of poinsettias, and he said yes. We have four, and 3 are losing leaves, but growing many new ones, about 6 on each plant. But one isn't losing any leaves. The leaves it has have some brown spots, but is this normal?

I prune poinsettias in April and August. Feed them before you prune them, it helps for them to have some extra energy when they are bald. The pruned cutting can be calloused off and used to make more plants.
Around October light needs to be restricted in order to get them to bloom in time fro Christmas.


White flies love poinsettias so you will have to keep up with the pest control. Once the bracts color up you cannot spray anything or they will drop every leaf.

https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/arch ... ettia.html
https://www.aces.uiuc.edu/vista/html_pub ... /point.htm

Commonest mistake with poinsettia is over watering. They really like to dry out between waterings. And generally just don't fuss with them too much. I bring mine outside once it is warm enough (staying above 50 degrees), but keep it in a location with very little direct sun.

Ok.

I have had a white poinsetta since Christmas and it is thriving! I have it in front of the picture window with a curtain separating it from the direct light, it is doing quite well and I water only when it looks dry and I hold it over the bathroom sink and pour water on the soil until it drains out the bottom, then I leave it alone and wait until it looks dry again. It is a easy plant to have in the house at least for me, I really don't want to try to get it to rebloom because I might do something wrong and mess it up and it is growing good now. So I thought I would let you fine folks see what I mean, it sure looks pretty with all that greenery. I have my Grandma's green thumb that is for sure!

I've been putting them in a box. Guess what I found today...... RED leaves! only two survived soon after I made my April post. Oh well, if they couldn't survive this year, it's better for them to be dead. You know, selection of the strongest?

poinsettias are actually not that easy to keep and most people think of them as throw aways and get new ones every year.
It is not because they are hard to grow but because to get them to bloom on time takes some planning

After poinsettias have finished blooming and the weather is warm, take them outside and put them in a semi shady spot. Dappled light works fine. Water them like a succulent and let them dry out a little, but not to much they should not wilt.
In April cut them back. Feed them and continue to water them. You may have to increase watering during the summer
Poinsettias are white fly traps, so you will need to spray them or use a systemic to keep the bugs off of them.
In August cut them back again and feed them a second time. I use citrus food for everything, but a slow release or any complete fertilizer will do.
About 8 weeks prior to when you want them to bloom you have to do start tricking the plant to get it to bloom for Christmas.
You have to shorten their day. They can be in bright light in the daytime but need 14 hours of total darkness, like in a closet in an unused room. You still water and care for them as usual during the day. Leave a humidity tray in the closet, the poinsettias need humidity at this time.
You have to do this everyday. In about a month the leaves should start to turn color. In another month they should be fully colored up. You can stop leaving them in the closet at night once the process is well under way. The bracts should stay colored for the holiday season.

Note: You can treat poinsettias for bugs and especially white flies until the bracts start to change color, if you spray them after the leaves change color, all of the leaves will drop. The plant won't die but it will be leafless for the rest of the year.

I had one planted in my yard that was about 6 ft tall. It changed color in Spring.

More leaves are turning red!

Then you did it right. Congratulations.

Thanks. I just hope it has enough red leaves by Christmas.