Poinsettia

Poinsettia description

For most countries, a plant like Poinsettia is a symbol of Christmas. The thing is that the plant has a more spectacular appearance on the eve of the winter holidays. The plant also has other names - the star of Bethlehem or the Christmas star. This flower has a short day length. It is for this reason that the flowering of the plant occurs on short winter days. Flowering lasts 2 to 6 weeks. The plant is shrubby, perennial. The plant belongs to the genus Euphorbia, the Euphorbia family. The plant owes its origin to Central America, as well as the tropical regions of Mexico. The genus includes only a few varieties, namely: Spherical; Sparkling or shiny; Mile; The most beautiful; Big-horned.

Poinsettia cultivation and care at home

At home, you can grow the plant as an annual or biennial. The branched shoot has an erect shape. Most often, the leaves are deep green in color. But, sometimes you can find two-colored leaves - the edging has a creamy hue, the cuttings are orange-red. The inflorescences, which are in flowers, are small in size and have a green-yellow color. The flowering period of the plant falls on December-February or January-March. Among the advantages of the plant, one can distinguish not only small flowers, but also bright bracts. The bright top has a pink, red or white color; in essence, these are just modified leaves, which are called bracts. Bracts remain on the plant for a long period of time, up to about 6 months. If you are going to buy this plant as a gift to someone, then it is best to make the purchase when the buds have not yet blossomed. Then the bracts will be able to delight their owner for a long time with their unusual appearance and amazing beauty. When the plant ends its flowering period, the leaves begin to fall off. This is completely normal as the plant begins to prepare for the dormant period. You do not need to immediately run and get rid of the flower, it has not died. Of course, a bare plant is not particularly attractive, but if you take proper care of it, then in winter the plant will be able to please again with its flowering. Depending on the variety, the color of the bracts may be different. Some varieties can be pink (Dorothy), some bi-colored (Jungle Bells), red (Emperor and Angelica), cream or white (Regina).

We take care of the plant at home. Before buying this plant, you need to keep in mind that it is poisonous. It is necessary to be very careful to ensure that it cannot get into the eyes and respiratory tract. If this happens, then you need to wash the affected area as best as possible with plenty of water. After working with the plant, you should also wash your hands well. It is best to keep the plant away from animals and children.

Temperature. Poinsettia negatively refers to drafts and low air temperatures. Do not grow the plant near open windows. If you are going to buy the plant during the cold season, make sure that it is packed as best as possible. During the flowering period, the air temperature should not fall below +16 degrees. But it is impossible to allow excessive heat and low levels of humidity in the air, so that this does not adversely affect the plant. The plant does not tolerate temperature fluctuations well. If the plant does not like something, then the foliage will begin to wither and fall off.

Lighting. Make sure the plant is in direct sunlight. During the flowering period, the plant needs good light. During this period of time, the plant should not be placed on the southeast and south side of the room in which the plant will be grown. In a warm period, the plant can be grown on the balcony, however, the place must be protected from direct exposure to sunlight, drafts and wind.

Watering. The plant needs watering when the substrate dries up. During the warm period, watering should be abundant. It is impossible to water the plant with excessively cold water. You also need to ensure that there is no waterlogging of the soil, so that the root system does not start to rot. If the watering was excessive and the plant began to wither, you need to transplant the plant into fresh soil as soon as possible. Before transplanting, the root system will need to be rinsed well with a solution of potassium permanganate. If the summer weather is hot and dry, then the plant needs to be moistened by spraying with warm water.

Transfer. It is best to choose May for a transplant. To do this, you need to use a container with a slightly larger size. Also, one should not forget the arrangement of the drainage system. It is necessary to prepare in advance a good soil mixture, which will include: turf, leaf, humus soil, as well as sand (3: 2: 3: 1). You can also use a soil mixture, which will include: turf and leaf soil, sand and peat. It is also possible to add a small amount of humus. After the transplant, the plant needs abundant watering, after which fertilization must be applied.

Rest period. The dormant period occurs in March or April. The rest period lasts for 1.5 months, until May. During this period of time, the plant is pruned at a distance of 10 cm from the soil levels in the container. The plant must be grown in a dark place, the temperature should be +12 +16 degrees. It is not necessary to water the plant much.

What needs to be done for the plant to start blooming at Christmas. If you want to add to the fact that the plant begins to bloom at Christmas, then you need to prepare the plant at the end of September. When growing the plant at home, flowering may occur at the end of a period of long nights. For this reason, it is recommended to artificially increase the period of night in early autumn to 14-15 hours a day. It is necessary to cover the plant at night with a dark bag or dense material. This will take 2 months. The poinsettia should be kept in dark conditions for 14 hours. If you have the opportunity, then the plant should be taken for cultivation in a dark room. But this does not mean that there is no fresh air. During the day, the plant will also need good lighting. If you take proper care of the plant, you can achieve flowering at the end of winter.

Reproduction. If poinsettia were grown in the wild, then it could bring seeds, at home this is either simply impossible, or it can happen very rarely. But even if this happens, the plant will lose the properties of the parent plant. only those varieties that have been bred by breeders can be grown at home. For propagation of the plant, the propagation method is used. Of the young shoots, you need to choose the strongest (5-6), the rest must be pruned. Each pruned shoot can bring a new plant if you root it. Cuttings should include 4-5 internodes. Trimming must be done under the lower node, and the foliage that is at the bottom must be removed. The juice that is secreted by the plant will help prevent rot. After the cuts have dried at least a little, they are to be processed with crushed charcoal.Do not touch the cut sites with your hands, and children or animals should not be allowed to do this, as poisoning may occur. To make rooting, you need to use moist, loose soil or water. You can rooting in the soil mixture, which is used for transplanting, or mix sand and peat in equal proportions. To speed up the rooting of the plant, you can use a growth stimulant, for example, heteroauxin. After that, the plant must be removed to a warm room, with an air temperature of +24 +28 degrees. Poinsettia also needs regular ventilation and spraying. After the roots appear (after about a month), young flowers need to be planted in separate small pots. Rooted cuttings must be pruned to give the plant more branching.

Diseases and insect pests

If the humidity level is low, then it is possible that a spider mite appears, which looks like a small red spider. Settlement takes place on the back of the leaves, where they are enveloped with a thin white web. You can get rid of the insect by spraying and rinsing the foliage, paying attention to its back. You can also use systemic insecticides. For prevention purposes, the plant needs systematic spraying with warm water. Scabbard or mealybug attacks are also possible. If you start fighting insects on time, it will not be so difficult to get rid of pests. You can wipe the foliage with a sponge that is moistened with soapy water. After that, the plant is rinsed under a warm shower, but you need to cover the soil in advance with a waterproof material or film. Processing should be carried out 1 time in 7 days, until you completely get rid of the pests. if the defeat is strong, then it is necessary to carry out the treatment with special means that are sold in flower shops. Thrips, the appearance of which is also possible, leads to the appearance of wavy oblong specks on the surface of the leaves, as well as to the fact that the leaves begin to curl. The appearance of gray rot is also possible on the plant. Gray spots begin to appear on the lower branches and leaves. all affected areas are subject to removal, after which it is treated with antifungal agents.