The Christmas star is one of the most loved plants during the Christmas period, but is often neglected after the holidays. Do you know that with the right pruning can it flourish every year, becoming even more beautiful? Discover all the essential steps to make it grow strong and luxuriant!
Your Christmas star does it seem destined to lose its beauty after the holidays? That’s not the case! With the right care and strategic pruning, this plant can remain in splendid shape and give you a spectacular flowering even for the years to come. Many think that, once the iconic red bracts are passionate, the plant has no more hope. Actually, Pruning is the secret to keeping it alive and luxuriant. If made in the right period and correctly, it stimulates the growth of new branches and promotes a more intense and lasting flowering. But be careful: it is not enough to cut at random! You have to know when and how to intervene to obtain the maximum result. In this guide you will discover all the fundamental steps for effective pruning, avoiding the most common errors.
When and how to prune the Christmas star to keep it healthy
The pruning of the Christmas star It is an operation that must be done carefully, because it directly affects the growth and future flowering of the plant. The ideal time for the first pruning is between the end of winter and the beginning of springwhen the plant has already lost its colored bracts and is entering a rest phase. Begins by removing gently All dry or damaged leaves. This will help the plant to focus on new growth, avoiding waste of energy. Then move on to stemsshortening them and leaving alone Two or three branch leaves. This step is essential to prevent the plant from lengthening in a disordered way and to encourage more compact and bushes growth.
Once the cut, remember to disinfect pruning toolsusing alcohol or a diluted bleach solution. This will help prevent fungal infections and diseases, which could compromise the health of the plant. Also, if you have sensitive skin, always wears glovessince the lymph of the Christmas star contains latex, a substance that can cause irritation. This first pruning allows the plant to resume vigor and prepare for the subsequent growth phase. But the work does not end here: in the following months, further intervention will be necessary to stimulate the production of new branches.
The trick for abundant flowering: regular pruning
After the first pruning, it is important to continue taking care of the plant during spring and summer. Constant attention guarantees more uniform growth and a more spectacular flowering.
Here’s what to do to keep your Christmas star in perfect shape:
- Every 4-6 weeksslightly shortens the tips of the stems.
- On each branch, leave only three or four leaveseliminating the excess.
- This technique helps to develop new branches, making the plant thicker and harmonious.
- Avoid neglecting summer pruning, because it is precisely in this period that the plant accumulates energy for future flowering.
Following these steps, your Christmas star will have a more compact and balanced structure, avoiding disordered and too elongated growth. In addition, a well -pruned plant is less subject to diseases and parasites, guaranteeing greater longevity.
When stopping in order not to compromise the flowering of the Christmas star
Even if pruning is essential for healthy growth, There is a time when you have to stop cutting In order not to interfere with the natural flowering cycle of the plant.
Starting from mid -Octoberit is essential to stop any pruning. At this stage, the Christmas star begins to perceive the change in light and prepares for the production of iconic red bracts. If you continue to cut the stems or leaves, you risk altering this process and compromising flowering.
Let the plant follow its natural rhythm, gradually reduce exposure to light in the evening and prepared to admire The transformation that will make it the perfect symbol of the holidays.
If you want yours Christmas star Returns to bloom year after year, pruning is a fundamental step that you don’t have to neglect. Following these simple precautionsyour plant will grow stronger, more compact and will have even more brilliant and lasting bracts.
With a constant care and the right timing, the Christmas star will no longer be a seasonal plant, but a partner who will illuminate your home for many Christmas to come!
Photo © Stock.adobe
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