Plants that begin to bloom in the winter, cold months are a fairy tale, a miracle, they can be counted on the fingers. The Christmas tree (indoor) is one of those. The article below describes what a Christmas star (flower) looks like at home, how to care, water and feed, make a flower bloom.
What is a Christmas Star Flower?
A Christmas star or poinsettia is an indoor flower, characterized by a thermophilic character, exactingness to watering and fertilizing. But with proper care, the house will be filled with a fairy tale.
What does a red star or Bethlehem star look like?
Before experienced and novice growers began to engage in the reproduction of the Christmas star, she went a long and amazing history. The first to appreciate its beauty were the ancient Aztecs. It was used as a natural dye for tissues, cosmetics, and juice - in the treatment of fever attacks. But, before you buy and propagate it on your windowsill, you should familiarize yourself with interesting facts about this amazing flower.
- Not every poinsettia is red. This shade is considered a classic color, but you can also find white, cream, yellow, pink and even apricot shades.
- The flower itself was named after its discoverer, the American politician and diplomat D. Roberts Poinset. And he was not only a political scientist, but also a professional botanist.
- If you want poinsettia to change the color of your flower to a lighter shade, you just need to rearrange the flower in a dark place when leaving at home. And it is worth observing at least 12 hours of total darkness, otherwise there is a risk of getting something nondescript.
Flower Christmas Star: Home Care
A Christmas star is a whimsical and thermophilic plant, but with proper observance of all conditions of maintenance and reproduction, it will delight you with a beautiful and plentiful color.
Temperature mode
New Year's flower poinsettia grows beautifully at 20 ° C. The main thing is that the temperature minimum in the room does not fall below 16 ° C.
Important! During dormancy, the plant should provide a temperature regime in the range of 11-14 ° C.
The growth and development of poinsettia depends on the correctness of the content
Humidity and watering, fertilizing
At home, it is worth observing the level of increased humidity, if this is not possible, spray the Christmas star with warm water at the room with settled water. Additionally, this measure protects the plant itself from the spider mite.
Important! Watering during dormancy is required moderate, and in the period from December to March, when the flower is in the stage of active growth and flowering - plentiful.
The main thing with regard to watering is not to allow the water in the pan to stagnate, but it is not worth it to allow the earthen coma to dry out. All this is disastrous for a Christmas star.
In terms of feeding, the requirements are the same as for the rest of the home flowers. Spend it in the spring at the very beginning of the active period of growth and flowering and then with an interval of three weeks. It is optimal to opt for complex fertilizers for flowering plants. Fertilize until the fall, until the onset of dormancy.
At the beginning of the dormant period, the plant is fed with fertilizers with the addition of phosphorus and potassium salts. As the flower goes into hibernation, fertilizer is strictly forbidden to make.
Pruning and caring for a Christmas star after flowering
During this period, the plant reduces the duration of daylight hours to 10 hours, for which the flowerpot is placed in a box and covered with cardboard or a dense black cloth. Gradually reduce watering, and fertilizers do not.
Pruning is carried out when the plant has flowered. Trimming costs exactly half the height of the plant, and if the shoots do not exceed 5 cm, then they are not touched. Pruning should also be carried out after the Christmas star is transplanted into the new flowerpot completely.
Pruning helps shape a beautiful bush in the future
Christmas star transplant at home
Transplantation is carried out before the onset of the growing season and active growth. The main thing is to act carefully, as the root system of the flower is fragile. Therefore, the transplant is carried out by the method of transshipment without violating the earthen lump.
If the plant does not fill the pot with roots, then it is not necessary to transplant. In this case, it is enough to pour on top of the soil.
As for the choice of flowerpot, the new one should be 2-3 cm wider and deeper than the previous one, no more. After transplantation, the plant is provided with abundant spraying and watering, the temperature is not lower than 21 ° C. After the emergence of new shoots, it is necessary to leave a few strong, and cut off the rest to prevent weakening of the ornamental bush.
Rest period
The rest period falls at the end of February - the beginning of March and lasts until April. At this time, the plant rests, often drops leaves. The very first sign of the onset of this period, experts call the appearance on top of decorative, red inflorescences of green leaves. At this time it costs:
- place the flowerpot with the plant in a cool and shaded room, keep it at a temperature of 12-15 ° C;
- carry out preventive pruning, leaving strong shoots 7-10 cm high, which will allow in the future to form a beautiful and lush bush;
- watering is very rare. Moreover, it is worth giving the earthen to whom it is completely dry, this will contribute to an easy “wintering” of the plant.
For your information! The rest period lasts about 1.5-2 months.
Preparing for flowering (end of September - November)
With the onset of summer, the Christmas star begins to actively grow, develop, and with the onset of autumn, a period of active preparation for flowering begins. If you do not follow a certain regime, the flowering of poinsettia can not wait. What the flower requires:
- Protection from light. In the fall, from evening to morning, they cover the pot itself with a cardboard box or a dark, opaque bag;
- Provide the plant with natural light, change of day and night. The main condition of detention is the absence of closely standing radiators and sources of artificial lighting;
- The use of lightproof barriers.
In any case, during this period:
- watered with warm filtered water, but after complete drying of the earthen coma;
- apply fertilizer once a week, intended for decorative, flowering plants.
After all the manipulations, the plant is carried out on the illuminated windowsill.
Proper care is the key to plant health and beauty
Diseases and pests of the flower and the fight against them
If the plant begins to fade and disappear, but the conditions of maintenance are met, the bush may be affected by parasites or suffer from an ailment. Most often, the plant is affected:
- mealy worms. They feed on the sap of the plant, leaving a sticky coating on the foliage. A step-by-step instruction for pest control involves processing with a solution of a simple laundry soap or alcohol tincture, but for the best effect it is worth choosing a drug commander or phytoverm;
- a spider mite encircles the plant with cobwebs, feeds on the sap of the plant and can lead to its death. It is enough to arrange a regular shower for the plant, treat the foliage with tobacco infusion;
- gray rot is characterized by the appearance of a grayish plaque on the plant. To combat, damaged leaves are removed, treated with antifungal compounds.
Note! Often, the reason can also be covered in contaminated land purchased in a store. Therefore, before planting in fresh soil, the earth is steamed at high temperatures in the oven.
How to propagate a Christmas star at home
Propagate a plant best in spring or early summer. To do this, use a cut stalk, the top with at least five internodes. The place of cut is sprinkled with charcoal, and then rooted in water or loose nutrient soil made in equal parts from sand and peat.
To activate the rooting process, growth stimulants, for example, heteroauxin, are used. The temperature in the room should be at the level of 25-27 ° C, the cuttings themselves are systematically sprayed. The rooting of cuttings often takes 1-1.5 months, then each of them is transplanted into a separate pot.
Thus, the Christmas star is a plant that, although whimsical, but with proper care and maintenance, will delight with beautiful flowering that cannot be compared with other representatives of the home flora.
