With the holiday season comes holiday decorations, and holiday plants. Poinsettias are a popular holiday plant that can be found in many households this time of year. To help ensure the longevity of this plant past the holiday season, Chris Enroth, Horticulture Educator with the University of Illinois Extension explains its importance to ensure water drainage.
“The main issue with those is that they always come in those like a foil-lined decorative kind of gold, red, or whatever color foil. And we often forget, like water cannot drain out of there, and so many times it will hold water, and that soil will just become way too saturated, and those roots will very often rot.”
Enroth adds its best to take the poinsettia out of the foil while watering it.
“Then let all that water run through there, make sure that potting mix that point state is growing and is nice and wet, and then put it back into the foil after all the excess water has drained out.”
And when the holidays are over, Enroth says you can plant it this upcoming spring.
“Get it out of that decorative foil lining, maybe pot it up in a similar-sized pot, and put a saucer under just so water can drain out. Keep it away from cold drafts. Try to lift that plant along until springtime.”
Enroth adds that when springtime comes, poinsettias can be planted outside and they will live until the next winter.
