Christmas is just around the corner, and with it comes a festive atmosphere into our homes, which most of us have been looking forward to since the summer. The poinsettia, a beautiful plant that is very demanding to care for and unfortunately often has to say goodbye to it soon…
How can we make this maid happy for as long as possible, or at least make it through the Christmas season in all its beauty? The truth is that not everyone can do it, and less experienced growers will start watching this plant wither after a few days.
The most beautiful Euphorbia, jak is the Latin name of the plant originally from faraway Mexico, because it is very demanding on the conditions we offer it. But if we learn to understand her, she can celebrate several Christmases with us.
Instructions for growing this Christmas beauty can also be found in the YouTube video from Epic Gardening:
Source: Youtube
Beware of drafts
Choosing the right plant in the store is the basis of success. Without wanting to diminish the quality of goods in supermarkets, if you want a plant that has been well taken care of, it is still better to go directly to the florist. It is no secret that poinsettias are very sensitive to cold and drafts, which is difficult to treat in large stores.
Pack perfectly and take your time
Once you’ve chosen the right plant (and it doesn’t matter its size), insist consistently on wrapping it perfectly. Even a moment of cold, which you would expose her to on the way home, can do her great harm. Don’t even rely on the car right in front of the store entrance.
But watch out! Just as the star can’t stand the cold, it can’t cope with rapid changes in temperature either, even if it is a transfer to a warm room. After coming home, it is better to leave it in the hallway for a while – again, watch out for drafts – and only after a few minutes gradually move it to warmer areas.
Light, but not the sun
Did it work? Certainly yes, and so we can start taking care of the star so that it stays beautiful for as long as possible. The basis will be the correct location. It is not easy, it is a really demanding plant.
So: The ideal place for the poinsettia will be bright, but not where direct sunlight reaches. Even the weaker ones that come to us now in winter could burn it. The temperature in the room should not fall below 18 °C, but neither should it rise above 22 °C. Of course, it must not be a place in a draft, but surely no one would even think of that.
Waters “just right”
In addition to the place, the star, striking with its beautiful red leaves (it is not a flower), also has a clear opinion on the correct watering. Overwatering means rapid death of the plant, as well as too dry substrate. The well-known saying “everything in moderation” applies here as well.
Therefore, before each watering, let approximately one centimeter of the substrate dry out and then give the plant a light watering. It also likes to receive water through the dewing of leaves, which is practically a necessity in a dry apartment heated by radiators.
It is a perennial
If we follow the mentioned procedure, there is a high probability that the poinsettia will celebrate not only New Year’s Eve, but also Easter with us. It will take a little patience and care throughout the year for us to look forward to another Christmas. In the spring, it will need to be trimmed, very uncompromisingly, at a height of approximately ten centimeters.
At the same time, we transplant it into a new substrate. In the summer, it will be best in a bright place protected from drafts, but not in direct sunlight. It is a perennial, so by the next holidays it should, with proper care, not only grow beautifully again, but also branch out and be even bigger and more beautiful than in the first year.
Go to the apartment only slowly and with feeling
With the arrival of autumn, it is necessary to ensure shorter days for the star by covering the plant or transferring it to a darker room. Soon the green leaves will begin to change and before Christmas the ones we are waiting for will appear – i.e. the beautiful red ones.
It will follow the same procedure when moving it to a warm room as when you brought it from the store. No matter how big or old you have a poinsettia, always beware of one thing – it is a beautiful but poisonous decoration of the apartment. Children or pets should not reach it.
Sources: www.vanocniretezy.cz, www.flora-online.cz, www.dumazahrada.cz
