Jerry Baker's What's Growin' On?

Happy holidays! Have you gotten your poinsettia yet? With a little care and patience, you can enjoy your winter beauty not just this Christmas season, but for years to come. Here’s what you need to do:

For the next couple of weeks, keep your poinsettia near a warm, sunny window, but don’t let the plant touch the glass. Check the soil every day and water it when it’s dry to the touch. Don’t allow the soil to either dry out completely or remain soaking wet.

After the holidays, stop watering your poinsettia and store it in a cool, dry place when the leaves fall off. In spring, start watering it again, and cut the stems back to 6 inches tall. Keep the stems pinched back as the new leaves begin to form to make a short, compact plant. From early October until blooming starts, place the plant in a dark closet for 12 hours each night, and move it to a sunny window for the rest of the day. Then, voilà! Come Christmas 2010, your poinsettia will be a bloomin’ beauty, all over again!

For more holiday houseplant helpers, check out my Great Green Book of Garden Secrets—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with thousands of tips, tricks, and tonics that’ll make your thumbs green, both indoors and out.