Caring for your Poinsettia
Poinsettias, or Euphorbias to give them their correct name, are part of the spurge family of plants. If you have trouble keeping yours, here are some tips to ensure you get the best from one of the nicest, living Christmas decorations you could invest in.
The potted varieties bought in garden centres or flower shops nowadays, are the result of the hard work of specialist horticulturalists over the course of many years, although they do grow into large shrubs in gardens of countries with warmer climates such as Spain.
The jardinières, which were popular during the Victorian period of British history, were a favourite place to display these lovely, flowering plants but without the services of a skilled gardener, it was always tricky to keep them looking their best as the leaves would fall and flowers die off. As time has progressed, the more recent varieties have become much hardier as they are normally treated with chemicals, which keep them smaller and bushier. Due to this, they are now not really that much different to other houseplants in that they are just as easy to keep, and given the right conditions, will remain in full bloom with bright, healthy leaves for many months.
Each star-shaped bract of the Poinsettia has a small yellow blossom in the centre and this is what is referred to as the ‘flower’ with the bracts providing most of the magnificent colours. When you are considering which plant to purchase, you should make sure that you choose one which has its bracts tightly closed, as these are the ones which will last much longer.
The best conditions in which to keep a Poinsettia are in a bright, warm place but out of direct sunlight and in a container of moist peat. The moisture and warmth are essential for longevity of the plant but it is important to use only lukewarm water when you do water it. As with other types of plant, you must ensure that the Poinsettia is not over watered, as this is one of the main causes for loosing them. Drain the pot well after watering and also do not water it until the compost is fairly dry so that you can be sure as to how much water the plant has taken.
You should keep a regular check on the condition of your plant, as they are good at letting you know they are not happy. If the leaves start to wilt, this is a sure sign that the moisture content is not right, being either too wet or too dry. The flower heads may start to drop or the leaves will turn brown or yellow if the environment is too dry. If this is the case, just spray them with a fine mist of lukewarm water and they will normally perk up again.
As the plants love light, warm conditions then you can be sure that positions which are too dark or too cool, maybe even draughty, will also cause the leaves to fall.
It is a common misconception that Poinsettias only flower once and as such most of them are thrown out after they have flowered. With a little extra care they can be encouraged to flower again the next year. To achieve this, simply cut back the stems so that they are around 10cm high after the last of the leaves have fallen. Then move the plant to a shaded area for a few weeks and resist the temptation to water it as often, keeping it slightly on the drier side. Give the plant plenty of water in late spring then put them into new pots using new compost. Continue to water them form this point on as normal and you will find that new shoots will begin to appear which is then the time to begin feeding the plant. Prune the stems so that just four or five are growing healthily and use the pruned ones as cuttings to grow new plants. As September comes, ensure that the plant has at least fourteen hours of total darkness each evening by covering it with a black plastic bag. Continue with this ritual until November and then change to the normal Poinsettia cultivation after which you should have lovely blooming plants in time for Christmas.
A point to remember is that you should wear gloves when handling any plant of the Euphorbia variety, as all of them are poisonous. If the sticky, white sap they give off touches the skin, you should wash it off immediately.
About the Author
Written by Mark Buckingham for Rentaccomspain.com. Rent or buy your perfect Spanish retreat direct from the owner. Find properties to buy in Spain at Pixelvillas.com Submitted by: Article Submitter
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