Paul, I actually planted a couple on the ground last year, but since we have been in a drought, I forgot to handwater it as often as I should, so it didn't do too well. Plus we had a few nights of cold weather and didn't cover them. The potted ones I just brought in the house when it got cold and for some reason where I had them, I always made sure they got watered. The one that I planted in the ground are still alive but not doing too well, just kind of sitting there...The potted ones did much better, because I took care of it. My neighbor down the street has one that's over 4 ft tall, and is doing very well. Maybe I will try it again...

so my 'pick me pink' started setting buds: 2 clear on one branch and 2 more are just beginning to fatten up. it's supposed to need only 6 weeks instead of 9 for reg.points. and i counted over 30 growing tips. do all tips normally set buds? it's exactly 1 week after i noticed first holiday cactus buds. so pretty much together. and i am not boxing. but the room is dark in the evening, although not pitch black either. how long after it starts setting buds to first colored bracts?

goodhors has the right idea. I grow poinsettias as a crop and this is how I tell anyone who enquires the easiest and surest way to keep them over and make them bloom again at the appropriate time. Treated this way, they are no different or any more difficult than any other houseplant. We talk about 'treatments' to get them to bloom. The treatment is simply to expose them to natural lighting conditions. IOW dark when it's dark outside and light when it's light outside. Doesn't get much simpler than that, if you have a spare room and don't turn on the lights in there after darkness naturally sets in. Why would anyone want to keep a poinsettia over if they're readily available? Well, why do you want to propagate any perennial when you can prolly go out and buy a four inch pot for less than ten dollars, LOL? Or pick seeds for next year out of your garden, or winter over a coleus. All questions we have seen on this forum and nobody thinks those questions are silly or suggests they pitch their plant and just get a new one. I'll tell you one reason I have kept over poinsettias for several years, and that is to make standards "topiaries" out of them. The stemm gets woody like a small tree, and the top can be pinched out to a globe form. They're exquisite, and I wouldn't sell one for less than thirty five dollars. It can only be done with plants 'kept over'.

I gave mine to a coworker - it looks pretty good! It's getting a little leggy, but still has nice red and pink bracts. I'll try to remember to take a photo of it this week to share. :)