We’ve all been there: you buy a beautiful Poinsettia, set it on the table, and just a few days later, it’s dropping leaves like crazy. It looks like it’s on its deathbed, but don’t give up on it just yet! While there are no guarantees, a little plant CPR might just bring your festive favorite back to life.
Reviving Your Poinsettia
The truth is, many Poinsettias get a rough start before they even reach your living room. Big-box stores and supermarkets often keep them in drafty spots or drown them in too much water. Once you get them home, a few simple care mistakes can send them into a tailspin. If you act fast, you might be able to save your plant from the compost bin.
First-Aid Steps:
- Gently remove the plant from its pot.
- Carefully rinse the old soil off the roots under lukewarm running water.
- Snip off any roots that look mushy (rotted) or completely dried out.
- Grab a fresh, clean pot.
- Add a layer of expanded clay pebbles (LECA) at the bottom for drainage and cover it with a bit of landscape fleece.
- Use a loose potting mix—a blend of peat, soil, and lava granulate works wonders.
- Place your Poinsettia in the new pot.
- Fill in with soil and press down lightly to secure it.
- Give it a tiny bit of water to settle the roots.
Ongoing Care Tips
Now that your “patient” is repotted, find it a bright, warm spot away from chilly drafts. Make sure it’s not in harsh, direct sunlight, which can scorch the leaves and dry out the stems. Poinsettias love humidity, so feel free to mist it occasionally or set a water tray nearby to keep the air moist.
The golden rule? Avoid “wet feet” at all costs. Standing water is a Poinsettia’s worst enemy. That drainage layer we added is a great insurance policy, but you should still wait until the top layer of soil feels dry before watering again. If you see water sitting in the saucer or decorative planter, dump it out immediately. If the roots sit in water, they’ll rot, and it’s game over for your plant.
Saving a Frostbitten Poinsettia
Sometimes the damage happens before you even buy the plant, especially if they were sitting outside a shop in freezing temperatures. If the leaves and stems look limp and mushy, it might be frostbite. As long as the root ball didn’t freeze solid, there’s still hope! Give the plant a fresh start in a new pot with fresh soil. During the move, trim away any mushy parts of the plant and the roots. Keep your recovering Poinsettia in a bright spot that stays at least 68°F (20°C) and be very careful not to overwater while it heals.
