Poinsettias are often simply thrown away after the holidays. With the right care, they can last for many years. We'll tell you the best tips and biggest mistakes when caring for poinsettias.
Poinsettias are one of the most popular plants during Advent. Because of their striking red, white or pink leaves, they look particularly pretty, immerse any room in a Christmas atmosphere and are therefore very popular as gifts.
But no matter how beautiful the plants are, a lot can go wrong when it comes to poinsettia care. It is not uncommon for plants to end up in the trash after the holiday season because they wilt or lose their leaves.
So that this doesn't happen to you, I have researched the best care tips for poinsettias. I'll also tell you which mistakes you should definitely avoid when buying. With this information, your poinsettias will grow lush and healthy and last much longer than just one winter!
This is what you should pay attention to when buying a poinsettia
When you purchase it, you can ensure that you will have something of your poinsettia for a long time to come. We'll tell you the 4 most important things you should keep in mind.
1. How many flowers does the poinsettia have?
Your poinsettia should still have plenty of flowers in the store. If the flowers are already open or are no longer there, then this plant has already finished its flowering period and will not last much longer.
By the way: These are the red leaves of the poinsettianotaround the flowers. The flowers are located between the colored bracts and are yellow-green.
2. Be careful of plants with yellow leaves
You should stay away from plants with yellow leaves. Yellow leaves are almost always a sign of incorrect care. In most cases, this means that the poinsettia has received too much water. And we'll learn later why he doesn't like it at all.
3. Don't buy plants with glitter
We see it again and again, especially in supermarkets: poinsettias that are sprayed with glitter. It looks really great visually, but the glitter is not good for the plant itself at all. It's not great for the environment either.
4. Don't buy poinsettias that freeze
Although you might think that poinsettias are winter plants, they actually prefer it warmer. Therefore, make sure you store the plant correctly in the store.
You should stay away from copies that are in the drafty entrance area of a supermarket or even outside. You should also make sure that your plant does not freeze when transporting it. It's best to wrap them in some paper and bring them home as quickly as possible.
Care for poinsettias properly
If a magnificent specimen has moved into your home, you should take good care of the plant because it can be quite sensitive. Read here what you should pay attention to when caring for poinsettias.
#1 Choose a bright and warm location
Poinsettias like to be cozy and warm. This is because they originally come from a much warmer region, namely South America. So it's clear that he doesn't like the cold temperatures here at all.
So put it in a warm place. The ideal room temperature for a poinsettia is15 to 22 degrees. Drafts should also be avoided, so do not place them in connecting rooms or in front of poorly insulated windows and doors.
The poinsettia also prefers bright locations. You should therefore place it near a window. However, direct sunlight is not ideal either, but that rarely happens in winter anyway.
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Is your poinsettia dropping its leaves? This is a sign that he is not comfortable where he is. In this case, you should quickly find him a new place.
#2 Water the poinsettia correctly
A poinsettia should be watered regularly. If the poinsettia drops its leaves or appears dried out, this could be a sign of too little water. As a rule, the plant recovers quickly once it is provided with moisture.
But the poinsettia wouldn't be a poinsettia if it were just that. Because too much water is not good for him either. Waterlogging in particular should be avoided at all costs, otherwise the roots can begin to rot. When in doubt, the following applies to the poinsettia: It is better to water too little than too much!
If you don't want to make any mistakes when watering, proceed as follows: Remove the poinsettia and its roots from the pot and immerse the roots in lukewarm water for a moment. Allow the plant to drain well and then put it back in the pot.
#3 Prune poinsettias in spring
To ensure that the poinsettia blooms beautifully again next year, you should cut it back a little after winter. Use sharp scissors and wear gloves because the poinsettia is slightly poisonous. The fluid that comes out of the stems can irritate your skin.
The first step is to remove all dry and wilted areas. You should also cut back shoots that are damaged or broken. You can be generous with this.
The so-called horny shoots (these are long, thin and soft shoots that break off easily) should also be removed. They are a popular source of food for pests and fungi.
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You have now completed the rough cut. Now take a look at how you like the look of the poinsettia. Is he a little out of shape? Then simply cut it so that it has the desired shape. Here, too, you can cut off a little more and even go into the wood. The poinsettia forms new shoots after just a few weeks and then becomes bushy again.
#4 Repot poinsettia
After pruning and a few months after purchase, around April, your poinsettia should be repotted. This is the only way the plant can continue to develop and grow. In stores they are often sold with poor quality soil, which inhibits growth.
Reading tips:
If you repot the poinsettia, use cactus soil, for example (for example here on Amazon)*. This does not store water as well and therefore counteracts waterlogging. In spring you should also supply your poinsettia with some liquid fertilizer about every 2 weeks.
The leaves turn red again in winter
Most of us buy a poinsettia because of its beautiful color. Poinsettias are traditionally red. They are also available in white, cream, pink or yellow. In order for them to return to their usual color after winter, you have to keep one thing in mind.
From October onwards, the poinsettia can only receive a maximum of 12 hours of light. After this time you should darken the room. If you don't have this option, you can also place a cardboard box or a bucket over your poinsettia.
Show-off knowledge:By the way, poinsettias originally come from Mexico and grow into tall, green bushes there. The mostly red and small specimens in this country are the result of years of work by breeders. Poinsettias are also known as Christmas stars, poinsettias or euphorbias.
