The poinsettia is one of the most popular houseplants. It blooms in winter, with the flowering period beginning in December, and the flowers are known for their durability in addition to their beauty. We give some helpful tips on how to properly care for the flower and how to get the poinsettia to bloom!
This flower is particularly beautiful with its large, bright colors and is a popular gift in the run-up to Christmas. Proper care is crucial for the plant's abundant blooms. With good care, the poinsettia will bloom in bright colors for up to 6 weeks, sometimes even up to 2 months. To bring the plant back to lifeto bring bloom, you need to start preparing in the fall.
What lighting conditions are needed for the plant
The poinsettia is extremely sensitive to light and will bloom when left in complete darkness for 12-14 hours a day. During the remaining hours of the day, the plant must receive the necessary indirect light and temperatures should not fall below 15° both during the day and at night. A window with indirect light is the perfect place for the poinsettia. If you can't provide that, your plant won't survive long.
Proper watering contributes to blooming
Note that the flower needs to be watered very rarely. Only water if you notice that the top layer of soil has dried out. However, if you don't use the plant oftenwater enough, there is a risk that the lower leaves will fall off and the plant will eventually lose its foliage completely.
The poinsettia needs to be watered relatively rarely, but when you do water it, do so thoroughly. After some time, you should remove excess water from the saucer. If you don't do this and the plant sits in water for a long time, the lower leaves may turn yellow and the flower may wilt.
If the leaves turn yellow and fall off, it means the roots are too wet. And when they hang down,the poinsettia needs to be watered.
During the growing season from April to fall, the plant should be watered thoroughly with water at room temperature. The roots should be kept moist during this time to stimulate growth.
Which fertilizer for poinsettias?
The poinsettia needs a rich soil mix of leaf litter, rotted manure, some potting soil and sand. This plant requires fertilizers rich in potassium, phosphorus and iron and lower in nitrogen. Do not fertilize during the flowering period! Even after flowering, the plant no longer needs fertilizer.
Get poinsettias to bloom with pruning
Pruning is an essential part of theproper careyour poinsettia at home. Whether the flower is strong and can bloom depends on the correctness of the pruning. As soon as the plant withers, it loses its beauty and strength.
When is pruning necessary? The poinsettia only blooms on young shoots. Pruning is therefore necessary to get the plant to bloom a second time. You should definitely cut it back when the poinsettia fades and drops its leaves.
Cut the stems back to the buds of the new leaf shoots, usually at least half of the stem. The poinsettia will probably look a little ugly for a few weeks until the new leaves appear. In autumn, cut the plant back by 8-9 cm to encourage branching, leaving 3-4 leaves on each shoot.
When does the flower go into dormancy?
To maintain the correct conditions for growing poinsettias, you need to know when the plant enters the dormant phase. In April the poinsettia goes into the dormant phase. Irrigation should then be significantly reduced.
If you want your poinsettia to bloom again, you also need to take care of the necessary lighting conditions.
The secret of flower formation
The formation of flower buds begins at the end of September. Indirect sunlight is necessary during the day, but we would like to point out that it is particularly important that the plant also receives at least 12 hours of darkness per day.
To ensure the required hours of darkness, you can cover the flower with a large cardboard box or black opaque film for twelve hours a day for eight weeks starting in mid-September. It takes eight weeks for the flowers to form. After that, you can put the flower back in a bright room so that it can delight you with its lush and bright colors during the holidays. Christmas will definitely be more beautiful with this queen of houseplants.
