We Asked an O‘ahu Grower How to Treat a Poinsettia

Bloom bright.

photo: Val Lawless / Freepik

You receive a poinsettia as a holiday gift and a) look forward to a happy life together; b) start feeling guilty right away about the imminent death of that unsuspecting plant.

Don’t feel bad. Chad Matsushima, president of North Shore farm Alluvion, estimates he’ll sell about 15,000 of the plants this year, but he still sighs when asked about caring for the cheery plants.

“Poinsettias are pretty difficult actually,” Matsushima says. “They require a lot of care and attention.”

If you do get a plant, he recommends:

• Water two to three times a week in your sink so it doesn’t sit in water.
   

• Don’t let it get so dry the soil pulls away from the pot.
   

• After the holidays, trim it at least twice a year.
   

But if it doesn’t go so well, Matsushima will have new plants next year.

Read more by Robbie Dingeman