What do you do with the poinsettias once the holidays are over? I'm about done with everything red and sparkly, so at the very least the outer foil has to go. As I recall, my mom used to keep them as houseplants although they never colored up again. I've read about the process to do that and it sounds pretty complicated. Do you just let them die a slow death, put them out of their misery, keep them on as green plants, or... ???

Enjoy and then discard. Mine is dropping leaves.......garbage tomorrow.

When I lived in Piedmont we planted them outside after Christmas and they got as big as a house, but anywhere else you might as well throw them away. They don't make great houseplants because they're poisonous.

Also since they're greenhouse grown they're a bit tempermental I always feel bad tossing plants away though - oh well...I do feel better composting them (so glad Seattle has yard waste!)
Zuzu when you'd plant them outside would they bloom the following years??

Yes, they did bloom outside. The neighbors who had the best blooms regularly covered their Poinsettia bushes at about 5:00 in the afternoon and uncovered the plants at 8:00 in the morning starting in September. It's the long dark nights that make a Poinsettia bloom. You can do the same with an indoor Poinsettia plant by putting it in a dark closet for 14 or 15 hours a night during the months leading up to Christmas.

I like the idea of having a huge poinsetta bush!

Mine went out today. I like cyclamen better for the holidays.

I'm just ready for something other than red - maybe a nice jolly yellow. I saw some daffs at the grocery store, that would work.

with both of you! I brought in a couple of cuttings off my forsythia bush, to "force" them, but so far not much happening! Yellow when its cloudy is always nice! (although today was amazing!! sunny and cold!)

Good idea on the forcing, Greg - I never think of that. Perhaps I'll go 'shopping' for likely candidates this morning.