Poinsettias Past Their Prime Need A Push
By Phran Novelli
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Some guests just don't know when to go and you have to kick them to the curb. Such as poinsettias. Festive for Christmas, fine for January, rationalized when they're still around at Valentine's Day because they are red….
But after that, unless you're a devoted plant lover who keeps them going all year or puts them in the dark for months so you can coax them to bloom next December, a lot of us just want poinsettias to go away already. Which is why I found a fully flowered poinsettia peeking out of a garbage bag in the snow last week on trash day.
Poinsettias won't leave on their own. You have to show them the door. I've tried ignoring them, I never feed them, and stop offering water. The soil dries up, but still, they linger - like the last party guest who hangs around no matter how much you yawn.
So, if you've got a poinsettia, or any plant you're tired of, feel free to move it along. Give it away, or introduce it to your compost pile or trash can. Replacing it with happy daffodils or a pretty parade of tulips can really put some Spring in your step.