The thread below may be of interest on the subject of Poinsettias, though I don't know if you have the same problem with them making it to Christmas as we do here. Sometimes its possible to keep one going for a long time, but in order to get it to develop red bracts again, it requires a six week period of darkness - as they're so cheap to buy, the general consensus is, its not worth the bother, but check out the thread anyway, some of the comments are relevant to your question

http://www.growsonyou.com/question/show/305372

thanks yes they are cheap to buy but i like a challenge to keep them alive

Good luck! Most of us seem to have even given up on buying as they pop their clogs within the week! I personally can't be bothered with trying to keep them going a buy 'christmas' related plants that do have some chance of surviving

thanks Moon growe , i have 6 of them i bought the day after thanksgiving and they are doing great. probably will not try to keep them all yr but will enjoy them as long as possible last yr i had them to close to feb.

This link will be of help if yours are still doing fine

http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/977967/poinsettias-how-to-keep-them-thriving-year-round

Merry Christmas to you too!

It's such a chore to get those nice red "flowers" just in time for Christmas. They require a certain amount darkness at a certain time at a certain temperature. I just get new ones from Walmart for around $10.00 and take advantage of the new colors they come out with - this year, snow white - gorgeous!

your rt bathgate , after reading more about them i will not attempt to keep them all yr. as i stated i do have good luck with them until feb. usually. as for the new colors i am a traditionalist and have to have my red poinsettias, they go so well with my tree., same way with my lights i have to have multi colored not one color, but to each its own. thanks all for your help that is why i like this forum soo much a lot of good people.

I am one of the few on GOY who have these growing in my garden, and I even tried growing some from the store bought type, but while they lasted a long time, they eventually failed. They have been weakened by the treatment they get, so chance of success becomes slim. If you can get a piece of strong stock instead, it will go a long way to get it going. They originate in Mexico, so too much frost will kill them. I first saw one outside and tall in Auckland, N.Z. where there is a some frost (how I hated using the outdoor loo in winter), but it doesn't freeze. Here, it stays above freezing, and rarely gets below 50°F. It needs pruning almost every year, and if I stick a piece in the ground, it takes root and grows. The shorter days causes the bracts to turn red and it holds up really well to the wind. Seeing them growing around the Island, it takes sun in the summer and more shade in the fall/winter. The darkness treatment that the growers give them causes the whole thing to be weak, so you probably won't succeed. I was just out looking at mine, and it's been doing great since November.

thanks for your reply, it was very interesting

Wow that is amazing Wylie! I remember Bulba and I being in Rhonda just before Christmas one year and the police were standing scratching their heads at the use of plastic Poinsettias!

I have been thinking about this, and another thing that might affect trying to grow these is that soon they will be going dormant (for me) for the winter months before the new leaves appear in the spring. Trying to force the plants to grow when they need a rest may also weaken them. About Feb,. I will get out there and prune it since they grow 4-6 feet in a season.
I was in the big shopping center the other day, and not a single poinsettia was for sale. They don't sell very well here since so many people have them in their gardens.

our area stores always have hundreds for sale, now they are in different colors, but only red for me! did not realize they grow so tall, thanks

I've grow a couple outside, but the ones bred for the potted Christmas plants don't much appreciate our extreme summers. A few people around here have older kinds from Mexico, and they do fine as long as they have part shade, and shelter from frost. Our chillier winters do delay the bloom a month or two.