Q: Dwarf hamsters have a similar diet to other hamster varieties. A mainstay of your dwarf hamster's diet should be commercial hamster food, which you can purchase at your local pet store. Commercial hamster food comes in pelleted form and typically consists of seeds, pellets, grains, and bits of cracked corn. Commercial hamster food has a high nutritional value, but should not be the only type of food you feed your dwarf hamster. The pellet formulation allows your dwarf hamster to gnaw on his food, which can be good for his dental hygiene. Choose a commercial food that has about 15 to 20% protein. If you have the time, you can also make your own hamster food. Fruits and vegetables add extra nutrition as well as variety to your hamster's diet. Make sure to wash the fruits and vegetables thoroughly with fresh water to remove any pesticides or other chemicals. Examples of produce that you can feed your dwarf hamster are asparagus, broccoli, bananas, and blueberries. Incorporate fruits and vegetables gradually into your dwarf hamster's diet to reduce his likelihood of developing diarrhea. Start by feeding one small piece of produce a week, then slowly move up to feeding a small piece once a day. If he develops diarrhea, stop feeding him produce and allow the diarrhea to resolve before trying again. Herbs, such as basil and coriander, are also good to feed your dwarf hamster. Protein is an important nutrient for your dwarf hamster. Fortunately, there are several great protein sources from which you can choose. For example, raw and unsalted seeds, such as sunflower, flax, and sesame, are high in protein. Lentils are another good protein source. If you are not too squeamish, you can also feed him insects (grasshoppers, earthworms, crickets), which are high in protein. Consider purchasing these from your local pet store, since the ones you capture outside may have microorganisms that could make your dwarf hamster sick. Small amounts of dairy (plain yogurt, cottage) and meat (turkey, chicken) are also good protein sources. Natural sources of fiber, such as timothy hay and alfalfa hay, are good sources of fiber. Your dwarf hamster may not be a fan of hay, but you can give him a small amount to see if he will like it. Hard treats help your dwarf hamster keep his incisors filed down, which is good for his overall dental hygiene. You can let him gnaw on small dog biscuits, commercial hamster treats, or a small branch taken from a fruit-bearing tree. Your dwarf hamster can have soft treats, too. Examples of soft treats include whole wheat bread and scrambled eggs. Water is just as important to your dwarf hamster's diet as food. Buy a hamster-sized water bottle with a stem and ball bearing from your local pet store. The ball regulates how much water comes out each time the hamster takes a drink. Do not give your hamster a water bowl or dish. While it might seem like a good thing to do, a water bowl or dish will actually result in a watery mess in your hamster's cage. Watery messes can lead to mold growth that could make your hamster sick. Fill the water bottle completely to create a vacuum inside the bottle. This will prevent water from leaking out when you refill it. Position the bottle inside the cage so that it is out of direct sunlight. Direct sunlight can cause algae to form inside the bottle. This will not make your dwarf hamster sick, but it will mean that you will need to clean his water bottle more often. The water bottle can be secured to the inside of the cage with two small clips that you can find at your local pet store, in case the clips didn't already come with the bottle. Although there are a lot of human foods that you can feed your hamster, there are other foods that can make him sick and should be kept out of his diet. For example, there are certain fruits and vegetables that you should not feed your dwarf hamster, including tomato leaves, raw potatoes, and onions. Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons) should also be avoided because they are too acidic for him. A watermelon's water content is too high for him. Almonds contain cyanic acid, which can make your dwarf hamster very sick. Fruit seeds can be harmful to your dwarf hamster. If you would like to feed your dwarf hamster fruits that have seeds (apples, peaches, plums), make sure to remove the seeds first. Chocolate contains a substance called theobromine that can negatively affect your dwarf hamster's circulatory system.
A: Feed your dwarf hamster commercial hamster food. Give your hamster fresh fruits and vegetables. Include a good protein source in your dwarf hamster's diet. Add fiber to your dwarf hamster's diet. Feed your dwarf hamster hard treats once a week. Provide your dwarf hamster with fresh water. Learn which foods you should not feed your dwarf hamster.

Q: If you live in a place with mild winters - growing zone 10-12 or higher - you should be able to plant the poinsettia directly in the ground, where it will grow as a perennial and get larger with each passing year. If you're in a place where the temperature dips to freezing temperatures during the winter, you're better off keeping it in the pot as a houseplant. Poinsettia are native to Mexico, and they need a warm climate to thrive. If you bought the poinsettia during the winter as a decoration, keep the plant in the pot until spring, even if you live in a place with mild winters. If it came in foil remove the wrapper so water can drain from the pot. It needs to stay potted until the weather gets warm enough to transplant it. Water it whenever the soil starts to dry out. At the beginning of spring, in March or April, cut the poinsettia back to about 8 inches. This will encourage it to begin a new growing cycle and get it ready for transplanting. Keep it watered and fertilize it once a month or so until early summer, when it's time for transplanting. Look for a place where the poinsettia will get morning sun as well as light or partial shade during the heat of the afternoon. Till the soil and loosen it to a depth of 12 to 16 inches (30 to 40 cm). Enrich the soil by adding organic compost if necessary. Poinsettias prefer rich, well-drained soil. Dig a hole as wide as the poinsettia's root ball and plant the poinsettia. Pat soil gently around the base of the stem. Mulch the area around the base of the plant with 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7 cm) of organic mulch. This keeps the soil cool and helps it retain moisture. You can apply a 12-12-12 or 20-20-20 compound at the start of the growing season or fertilize the plant with compost. If your soil is not very rich, you may need to fertilize the plants once a month. Water the plant at the base whenever the soil around the plant feels dry to the touch. Avoid overhead watering, which could cause fungal disease to form on the leaves of the plant. Pinch small growing shoots from poinsettias occasionally throughout the growing season to encourage the plants to flower. You can discard the shoots or use them to propagate new plants. Cut back old growth in late fall or early winter to encourage strong new growth the following spring. You can take 8 inch (20 cm) cuttings from the soft growing tips of poinsettia stems or 18 inch (45 cm) cuttings from the woody stems of the plant to create new poinsettia. Dip the ends of each cutting into a rooting hormone, then insert it into a pot filled with potting soil or a vermiculite mix. Keep the soil in the pot moist, but not wet, for several weeks while the cuttings make roots. Add fresh mulch around the base of the plant to keep the soil warm for the winter months. Poinsettia can winter over in areas where soil temperatures do not fall below 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 Celsius). Dig the plants up and bring them indoors if you live in a climate where winters are cold and soil temperatures fall below 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 Celsius).
A:
Decide whether the climate is right. Care for the poinsettia until spring. Prepare a planting spot. Plant the poinsettia. Fertilize the poinsettia. Water the poinsettia throughout the growing season. Prune the poinsettia. Propagate poinsettia cuttings. Overwinter the poinsettia.