Poinsettia home care after purchase

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-12 17:37

Do you think poinsettia is a perennial or annual flower? Much depends on home care after purchase.

How to choose a poinsettia

Poinsettia, the most beautiful euphorbia or "Christmas star", is a houseplant that blooms in winter, from December to February. The plant you buy must be healthy.

To choose such a seedling, pay attention to some details:

• the temperature in the store should be from 16 ° C and above, a lower temperature will irreversibly damage the roots of the flower, and it will soon die;
• the moisture of the soil in the pot is needed moderate, any other option says that one of the basic rules for caring for the most beautiful milkweed has been violated, which means that other points of care were probably violated;
• on the showcase, the plants must be unpacked, otherwise it will not be possible to inspect the purchase;
• leaves and stems should be healthy - even in color, not fading and not damaged;
• leaves on the stems should be evenly spaced;
• they choose a plant that is just beginning to bloom - its flowers are still in greenish-yellow buds, and the beautiful red bracts, which give the plant decorativeness, are not stained with pollen.

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It is better to buy a plant in the summer, but usually they start selling the most beautiful euphorbia in November. In winter, it is best to take a flower home in a box, additionally insulating the root area, for example, with a cloth. As a last resort, you can get by with a paper bag, but you need to handle it more carefully.

Poinsettia care immediately after purchase

Following a few simple principles will allow you to grow a Christmas star successfully and safely:

• in the apartment, the poinsettia is immediately released from the packaging;
• before putting the plant to other flowers, it is necessary to withstand quarantine and make sure that the new acquisition is safe;
• determine the place where the poinsettia care will be carried out at home immediately after the purchase: there should be convenient approaches to it, because the most beautiful euphorbia requires daily attention;
• the plant is demanding on environmental conditions, so read the rules for keeping this flower to the end. In quarantine, the same requirements must be observed as in permanent containment.

Although poinsettia belongs to the euphorbia family, its juice is not toxic to humans and pets, although it can cause reactions in those who are allergic to latex.

Poinsettia is sensitive to home care after purchase. A novice amateur florist can also cope with growing a plant, but you need to soberly assess your strengths. If you are ready to perform a few simple manipulations every day, this flower will suit you.

Poinsettia care at home

The main difficulties associated with caring for poinsettia are associated with choosing a place where the plant will feel optimally. In addition, it is worthwhile to draw up a calendar of care actions and strictly follow them.

Location and lighting of the flower

In order for the "Christmas star" to live long and bloom regularly, you must follow the conditions for caring for the Poissettia at home after purchase:

• provide it with diffused light, the direct rays of the Sun can burn the leaves of the plant;
• it is best if the flower is placed near a window that faces east or west; otherwise, you need to adjust the shelf with the flower so that the light enters there at an angle;
• the ambient temperature should be approximately the same, protect the plant from cold window panes, euphorbia can freeze its tender, moisture-filled leaves;
• do not open the window over the poissettia, otherwise it will stop growing, and on cold days it can get injured due to low air temperature;
• the location above the heating radiators is guaranteed and will quickly dry out the soil and destroy sensitive roots;
• lighting less than 6 hours a day is not enough for a plant, and if the daylight hours are too short, ultraviolet illumination will be required.

All this means that the most beautiful milkweed has no place on the windowsill. Place it on a well-lit shelf next to a window, but away from the battery. This will make it much easier to care for the flower and ensure its durability.

In the warm season, poinsettia develops well in the open air. The main thing is not to forget to feed and shade it.

The flower begins to form buds at the end of September. At this time, the thief will limit its illumination: for the bracts to turn red, the plant must be illuminated for no more than 10 hours a day. A box or black tight bag will help with this.

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The best ambient temperature will be + 16 … 17 ° С. This regime should last 2, 5 months - until the beginning of December. Then the plant stops shading, and the temperature can be much higher.

In February-March, the hibernation period begins. The beautiful bracts will be shed and new green leaves will appear above them. It's time to carry out pruning, forming a crown, and send the pot to a dark, cool place with a temperature of at least + 10 ° C.

Watered every 2 weeks and do not feed. After 1, 5-2 months, you can move the flower to its usual place, having previously transplanted it.

Temperature

The flower is comfortable at a temperature of 18-20 ° C. For most people it is cool in the apartment at this temperature, we are accustomed to 22-26 ° C. This is easy to adjust - you just need to hydrate the plant more.

On the windowsill above the battery, the temperature is much higher. Radiators are heated from 40 to 50 ° C. Warm air rises, and the plant finds itself in extremely unfavorable conditions that cannot be corrected by watering.

In the worst case, such an arrangement can kill the decorative spurge, at the best - it will make it impossible for the formation of peduncles, and therefore bracts.

If the temperature in the room is higher than +20 ° С, you can do the following:

• put the pot in a tray with pebbles and in addition to watering the flower, pour some water there: evaporating, the water will cool the roots of the plant;
• place a wide bowl of water next to the flower;
• cover the batteries with wet towels or sheets, this will reduce the temperature in the room by 2-3 degrees;
• Spray the poinsettia with water at room temperature 2-3 times a day.

The method with wet sheets allows you to maintain the conditions in the home that are necessary not only for plants, but also for people. Try it. Perhaps the "Christmas star" will help you better endure the ARI season.

Watering and humidity

Poinsettia does not tolerate excess moisture. But she needs abundant watering. To combine these conditions, do this:

• settle the water before watering, or better pre-filter it;
• watering is over when water begins to seep from the drainage holes of the pot;
• check the pan 10 minutes after watering and drain off any accumulated water.

If you dry out the poinsettia so that its leaves begin to wilt, do not overfill it. Give the plant just a little water, and after 3-4 hours water as usual.

During the rest period, much less moisture is needed. When you exit this state, watering begins in small portions.

Soil and pot

The composition of the soil includes clay sod, leafy earth, sand and peat in equal proportions or in a ratio of 3: 2: 1: 1. The soil should have a neutral or, in extreme cases, slightly alkaline pH.

A pot is needed with an equal height and width, each next one should be 2-3 cm larger than the previous one. A planned transplant of the most beautiful milkweed is carried out every 2-3 years.

Top dressing

It is impossible to start feeding Poissentia at home immediately after purchase: the plant received enough fertilizer during forcing. The first top dressing is applied in a month and a half. This usually coincides with the emergence of new shoots in the flower after exiting the dormant period.

Further, the most beautiful euphorbia is fertilized once every 15 days. During the flowering period, the flower is not fertilized, but some florists believe that potassium salts will still be useful.

When and how to replant

The first Poisentia transplant at home is done 3 weeks after purchase. By this time, the transport soil has already been depleted. But if the flowering has already begun, you will have to wait until it ends, otherwise the plant will react by dumping the foliage.

In this case, once every 2 weeks, you need to apply fertilizer for flowering indoor plants and replant the Poissentia immediately after it has faded. The plant is transplanted strictly by the transshipment method: its root system is very delicate.

To do this, put the flower pot in a bowl of warm water. At the bottom of the pot, drainage is poured into 1/3 of the volume, then the prepared soil mixture is poured to half the volume.

The plant is carefully removed from the pot along with the earthy clod and placed in a new "house". When transplanting from transport soil, it is recommended to rinse the roots under running water, protecting the Poissentia from excess fertilizer.

The roots are examined, the damaged ones are removed. At this stage, you can process the roots or an earthen lump with Kornevin. Placing the plant in a pot, fill the remaining volume with fresh earthen mixture - tightly so that no voids remain. At the end of the transplant, the plant is watered as usual.

Pruning

The most beautiful euphorbia is cut in August, before preparing for flowering: this procedure stimulates the appearance of new buds. 5 or 6 of the strongest, even and symmetrically located shoots are left.

Pinch young branches up to 5 leaves. The old ones are cut at a height of 13-15 cm from the ground. Sections are treated with activated carbon powder.

Reproduction of poinsettia at home

The most beautiful spurge is propagated by cuttings. For this, healthy twigs remaining after pruning, having 3-5 buds, and cut at an angle, are suitable.

Immediately after cutting, the cuttings are dipped in water at room temperature for half an hour. Then, having blotted the sections with a napkin, they are treated with a root growth stimulator. Cuttings are placed in a moistened earthen mixture, deepening by 1 cm, and placed under transparent caps.

They create a greenhouse effect, they are removed daily so that pests do not start. Water in the same way as an adult plant. Other rules of care do not differ either, except that a higher temperature is permissible - 24-28 ° C.

The greenhouse is removed immediately after the plants take root. The first transplant is performed after the appearance of clear signs of growth. Flowering occurs one year after planting.

Poinsettia pests and diseases

Among the pests of poinsettia, the most common are:

• whitefly,
• shield,
• spider mite,
• mealybug.

It is easy to get rid of all of them with the help of soap solution, infusions of tobacco, garlic, onions, vodka or alcohol, or industrial insecticides. Treat weekly for a month to kill both adults and larvae, preventing them from laying new eggs.

Major diseases:

• gray rot;
• powdery rot;
• horse rot, or fusarium.

All these are fungal diseases, but they are treated in different ways. With gray rot, which is manifested by a gray bloom and dry brown spots on the leaves and stems, watering is limited, the plant is sprayed with foundation.

With powdery rot, the plaque is light gray, the aerial parts of the plant are affected. It is treated with phytosporin-M or Topaz.

The most difficult thing is with fusarium. Here, a transplant will be required with the release of the root system from an earthen coma, removal of the affected roots and treatment of the remaining with a solution of potassium permanganate or antifungal drugs.

Possible problems

There are a number of problems that can arise when growing a plant. Let's consider them in more detail.

Why poinsettia leaves turn yellow

There are three main reasons for this, and all of them are easily removable:

• improper watering (excessive or poor);
• cold room, draft;
• insufficiently humidified air or high temperature in the house.

Correct the situation, and the condition of the flower will return to normal.

Why poinsettia leaves fall

This most often occurs after hypothermia. If the leaves have fallen off after purchase, provide the poinsettia with good care at home, place it as in the photo, and the problem will not recur.

If the unscheduled leaf fall began after the adaptation period, check if the plant is in a draft, if the wall next to it freezes, if there is a pot near a cold window.

If the leaves are not drooping, but drooping, pay attention to whether you are overflowing the plant, whether there is sufficient drainage, whether the water stagnates in the trays.

If the plant was bought recently and has not yet been transplanted, it is possible that the roots are additionally protected with polyethylene, and because of this they will grow.

Summarizing

From all of the above, the following points can be distinguished:

1. It is necessary to choose the right plant when buying.
2. Flower care must be carried out competently. You should choose a place, water and feed the plant, taking into account the recommendations.
3. When propagating a flower, it is necessary to take into account the nuances described above.
4. The flower should be checked for pests and diseases. The tips provided will help you cope with problems.