Perhaps you received a poinsettia [1] during this holiday season and are now wondering how you can keep it until the weather becomes warm enough to put it outside. Poinsettias like a location where they will get about six hours of sunlight and where they will be cool, but not cold and away from drafts.

Keep poinsettias moist, but not wet and fertilize with an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer every two to three weeks. In April, when the bracts, the colored leaves, begin to fade, cut the stems [2] so that the plant is about eight-inches tall. Allow the plant to rest by keeping it in a brightly lit place and reducing the amount of water so that the soil dries out to about one-inch below the surface.

In June, when the new growth is underway, move the plant outside to a sunny but sheltered location. Continue to water and fertilize regularly throughout the summer. In September, bring the plant inside. In order to get your poinsettia to bloom again you must provide it with 14 continuous hours of darkness each night for eight to ten weeks. This can be accomplished by religiously placing a box over the plant every night [3], or by putting the plant into a dark closet. Retrieve the plant each morning and place it in a sunny window. When the new bracts appear, you can cease the artificial night lengthening regimen and keep the plant in normal household lighting.