Win a Stunning Poinsettia – in time for Christmas

Nothing says Christmas quite like a poinsettia. Together with mince pies and the John Lewis Christmas advert, a poinsettia is a sure sign that the festive season is around the corner. This Christmas connection could well be because they’re often bright red. Though they also come in a rainbow of colours including yellow, cream, white and pink!

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Whatever the colour, I’ve always found it rather sad that so many people seem to struggle to keep the plants alive once Christmas is over. They end up becoming a disposable thing – a bit like the tinsel and Christmas cards. To remedy this I’ve asked Stars for Europe, the leading group of European poinsettia growers, for some advice on how to look after your poinsettia longer-term. The lovely people at Stars for Europe have gone one better than this.

They’ve not only given me oodles of top advice to share, but also a bundle of four gorgeous plants to giveaway!!

Scroll down for your chance to WIN!

To find out more about how to care for the plants and to enter my fab giveaway read on…

Poinsettia – care when you buy

It appears that many of us makes some basic errors when we buy a poinsettia, which may well limit its chances of thriving.

• Poinsettias relish warm winter environments – and dislike draughts! So don’t choose a plant located near a chilly store entrance.
• A healthy poinsettia shouldn’t show signs of leaf yellowing or leaf drop – go for one with rich, even green leaves and vibrantly coloured bracts.
• They hate sudden plunges in temperature. So when buying the plant ask the person serving you to wrap the plant in paper (or take some with you and do it yourself). You want to keep the poinsettia cosy on the journey home. Leaving poinsettias in your freezing car while you head off to do other Christmas shopping is a definite no no!

Forget the classic Christmassy image of a red poinsettia sat next to a roaring fire. Blazing heat does not equal a happy poinsettia!

• Site them away from open fires, log burners and radiators. They like a warm, bright, well-lit position – away from direct sunlight if possible, and free from cold draughts.
• Keep them in a temperatures above 13°C and you will get a longer lasting display.
• Water sparingly – only water when the surface of the compost has almost dried out. Definitely don’t leave poinsettias with their pots sat in saucers of water.
• Around four weeks after purchase, start feeding monthly with indoor plant fertiliser.

Poinsettia – longer term care

So that’s the initial advice for having a tip top poinsettia for Christmas. But what if, like me, you want to keep your poinsettia going? The best advice I’ve gleaned is as follows:

• Prune back the plants hard in April, to about 10cm (4in), and keep at a temperature of 13°C
• In early May, repot them, growing them in a light, cool place over summer. A temperature of 15-18°C (60-65°F) is ideal
• Be prepared for a bit of faff to achieve the famous flowering and colouring! From November onwards you need to expose your plant to twelve hours of daylight and after that put your plant in a dark room (that includes keeping it away from artificial light)
• Poinsettias need a constant temperature of around 18°C (55°F) to colour up well, so make sure they do not get too cold
• Propagate poinsettias in May from softwood cuttings – here’s how to do that

One final thing to bear in mind is that commercially grown poinsettias are often artificially kept compact. If you manage to grow your plant on for a second year, it will revert to its taller more natural form. I like the sound of that! So I’m going to have a definite go at keeping my poinsettia going beyond Christmas. I may even try to take cuttings too!

Giveaway… 4 poinsettias to win

Now the moment you’ve been waiting for – the poinsettia giveaway!

Stars for Europe have given me four poinsettias to give away. To be in with a chance of winning one of these simply subscribe to my blog by entering your email below. (If you are already a subscriber you don’t need to fill it in as you will be automatically entered into the giveaway.) Four winners will be randomly chosen. Good luck!

The Giveaway Closes on 29th November 2020 at 11.59pm (GMT) and it’s only open to UK entries

Competition Rules

This is a joint promotion by BloomingLucky.com and Stars for Europe. Closing date is 29th November 2020 at 11.59pm (GMT). Four winners will win a poinsettia plant this is non-transferrable. This giveaway is open to UK residents aged 18 or over. Entrants must be a registered subscriber to the www.bloominglucky.com blog. To take part subscribe to the www.bloominglucky.com blog, this is the only mandatory task. If you are already a subscriber you will be automatically entered into the draw. Only one entry per person. The four winners will be chosen at random from all correct entries. The winners will be informed by email within 7 days of the closing date, and must respond within 7 days to claim their prize. Winners names will be available upon request. This prize draw is governed by English law and the courts of England shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising in connection with it.