How to make your Christmas poinsettia last all year

From Dec. 29, 2015:

Every year my husband buys me a poinsettia around Christmas, and it will have the pretty red leaves that make this plant so pretty. I then will keep it thriving until next Christmas, but it never develops the same pretty red leaves — only green leaves. Does it need a special setting or environment to get

its red leaves for the Christmas season?

I have a very nice poinsettia for Christmas this year, a gift from some friends who admitted they were regifting it. It’s the thought that counts.

Poinsettias are beautiful, but as far as keeping them going for another year, they border on being more trouble than they’re worth.

It’s almost easier to let them go and just buy a new one next season. But if you want to try it, here’s how:

If you’re going to keep it going for another year, you might want to move it to a slightly larger pot to give it room to grow.

Keep it in indirect sunlight. They like temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees.

Poinsettias are natives of humid lands, so mist your plant once a day. Stick a finger in to measure soil moisture, and give the plant a good soak when the soil is dry down to your first knuckle.

Don’t let it stand in water.

In the spring, prune the plant back to about 6 or 8 inches and maybe a couple of inches more in the late summer.

After Labor Day, put the poinsettia in a closet at night and move it back to the sunlight during the day. Once the plant is red again, leave it in indirect sunlight for the season..

If you want to make Christmas merrier for people who need the merriment, you can contribute to The Arizona Republic’s Season for Sharing drive in Clay Thompson’s memory. Clay was passionate about chasing away goobers, people who know others are in need and still do nothing. To donate, use the form on Page A4 of today’s paper or go to sharing.azcentral.com. Inlcude the “no goobers” notation to be eligible for gifts.