Poinsettia: home care after purchase, pruning and reproduction

27.02.2019 Flowers

Poinsettia or Christmas star, a rather capricious and whimsical houseplant. It is necessary to observe proper care at home after purchase and be aware of problems during cultivation.

Even in biblical stories there is mention of this beautiful and vibrant plant. When the baby Jesus was born, the poor children brought absolutely bare twigs to his cradle, and in the morning they bloomed with bright red stars. Hence the name "Star of Bethlehem".

Interesting!

Now it is customary to give this indoor flower for Christmas to close people, it is believed that it brings prosperity to the house and is a symbol of comfort.

Content

1 Care for poinsettia at home after purchase
2 Plant placement
3 Temperature
4 Watering
5 Top dressing
6 Transfer
7 Pruning
8 Breeding
9 How to make poinsettia blossom
10 Pests and diseases

Care for poinsettia at home after purchase

At the time of buying poinsettia It is worth paying attention to several factors:

the plant should not be packaged so that it is possible to properly examine it;
the soil should be slightly moistened, since an excess of moisture or too dry soil can affect the life of the Bethlehem star;
Pay particular attention to the stems of the plant. Black or brown spots should not be present on it. On the stem leaves are located on all sides and the color of the leaves is deep green;
look at the bracts, they should be clean. If you find pollen, it means that flowering lasts quite a long time;
the color of the buds is yellow with a green tint.

If one of the items does not match, then it is worth buying a plant in another place.

Plant placement

First of all, it is worth putting poinsettia separately from the other colors. It is worth considering that the Star of Bethlehem comes from the tropics and, accordingly, it has certain requirements.

a room star does not tolerate direct sunlight, that is, it will most comfortably feel either on eastern or western windows;
prefers diffused light. To do this, you will have to install additional special equipment;
if it is too close, put in the winter to the glass, then the leaves will immediately darken and freeze;
avoid drafts and open windows, since it does not tolerate cold;
Also, do not place poinsettia near batteries.

Temperature

Since the Christmas star is rather capricious, you should avoid temperature extremes. In no case should it fall below 16 ° C and not higher than 27 ° C. The most optimal temperature range is from 20 to 24 ° C.

Watering

One of the most important issues in the care of poinsettia at home is watering. It is necessary to moisten the plant as the soil dries. In no case do not over-moisten, as you can damage the root system.

In summer, watering must be done up to 3 times a week, and in winter, once a week, or even two, is enough. If water collects in the pan, then it must be drained immediately.

Important!

Watering is done only with water at room temperature and during the heating season it is worth spraying the foliage.

Top dressing

The star of Bethlehem should not be fed often, moreover, at the time of flowering, as well as rest, you can not fertilize it.

Fertilizing a room flower after a state of rest costs 1 time in two weeks with a complex of minerals to stimulate flowering.

Transfer

Every year in mid-spring, poinsettia must be transplanted. Trim one third of the stem and put in a warm, sufficiently lit room, watering to produce water at room temperature. Pruning occurs in March. When new leaves appear, the flower must be transplanted.

It is worth remembering that a new pot should not exceed 1.5 cm from the one that was before. Plant transplantation occurs by transshipment. Without breaking the earth. Please note that the root system must never be disturbed. Fill the gaps with earth.

In order to minimize the stress state of poinsettia, it is worth placing it in a mini-greenhouse, covering it with a transparent cap. This will increase air humidity. Daily ventilation can prevent fungal diseases and root decay.

Note!

After a month, remove the greenhouse. The roots adapt to a different capacity volume. Remember that after replanting a plant, it needs careful watering and spraying.

Pruning

When leaving at home for a poinsettia, one should not forget that it blooms only on young shoots. For repeated flowering, it must be cut, but only after the plant enters a state of dormancy.

If your star of Bethlehem does not think of dropping leaves, this indicates that the room is too wet. In this situation, pruning of the flower occurs when the buds appear. With this method, pruning can be done at any time. But in winter, additional lighting is needed.

How to pruning poinsettia? It is worth trimming the Christmas star low enough for better growth of shoots and larger and more saturated colors.

Important!

On each shoot, it is necessary to leave from 3 to 5 high-quality buds. This is the basis for further development and flowering.

Breeding

At home, poinsettia is quite difficult to propagate. This is a laborious and complex process. The vegetative method is mainly used. A better option is April or May.

What you need to get started:

A faded healthy plant.
Stimulator for root formation.
Disposable cups with a volume of 200 ml.
Soil in the ratio 1: 1 perlite and sand.
Capacity with warm water.

Materials prepared, now you can start landing.

Cut the cuttings from 10 to 15 cm;
remove the lower leaves from cut cuttings;
rinse in warm water from milky juice;
on prepared containers, make holes for drainage and fill with soil;
where the root will be, treat the section with a stimulator for root growth. If it is not there, it’s okay, just the process of root formation will increase;
further, immerse the stalk in the ground about 3 cm;
then shed seedlings;
place containers under the mini-greenhouse.

After the Christmas star is planted, it is worth remembering that it is necessary to ventilate once a day, observe the temperature regime from 15 to 21 ° C. Rooting occurs within 2 months.

How to make poinsettia blossom

Many lovers of indoor plants throw poinsettia after it fades and in vain. But with proper care at home, you can make it so that it will delight you with flowers every year.

If you remember, the Star of Bethlehem has a state of rest. Wait until the last leaves fall off and cut about 10 cm from the ground.Next, transfer the container with the indoor plant to a room where it is cool and dark enough and stop watering.

Advice!

In the first days of May by transplanting, transplant a flower and immediately start watering. When shoots appear, leave no more than 5 of the best, and remove the others.

If you want to make poinsettia bloom for the New Year, then a number of procedures should be done:

approximately at the end of September, the plant should spend at least 12 hours in a dark room;
perform this procedure within 8 weeks;
after passing this time, return the Christmas star to normal mode.

It will take no more than 3 weeks after the start of the process and flower buds will begin to appear on the shoots, then pretty bright bracts will form. The temperature regime during flowering should be slightly lower than usual, in which case the flowers will delight you for up to 6 months.

Pests and diseases

If at home you follow all the rules and conditions for the growth and development of poinsettia, then you can not worry about the health of your pet. But still, consider a few diseases and pests that affect the Christmas star.

Mealybug.If suddenly on a plant you notice a light coating, reminiscent of cotton wool, then you should immediately take the necessary measures. First of all, remove the plaque with a soapy solution, treat with Actara.

Spider mite. Does your pet's leaves curl and dry? So this pest appeared. To get rid of it, you need to: wash the plant with soap and water, then rinse after half an hour under a hot shower. Means for struggle: Antiklesh, Aktofit, etc.