Question: The holidays are over but my poinsettias aren't. Do I have to throw them out?

Answer: Not at all. Continue to water them, keeping them in bright but not direct sunlight and a moderately warm, not too hot, room. They should stay perky through winter. You can plant them in the ground when night temperatures stay above 55 degrees and enjoy their red bracts (that we think of as flowers) into the summer. New growth will be green and frost will eventually kill it. If you want to bring your poinsettia into bloom again next winter, cut it back to 3-4 inches and repot in early May. Keep it watered and fertilized through the summer. In fall you will bring it indoors and begin a regimen of blocking night light. See our poinsettia publication for details: http://www.hgic.umd.edu/_media/documents/hg30.pdf.