Poinsettia, or euphorbia - an evergreen plant that appeared in the rainforests of America and Mexico. In the natural environment reaches 4 meters, at home, the height does not exceed 50 centimeters. Attractive poinsettia is made by leaves located around nondescript flowers.
The main types of poinsettia
Inflorescences of the plant are a small outlet. It is hard to notice because of the beautiful leaves growing around. They are called bracts. Their color can be different: red, peach, lemon and even spotty. The lower leaves of poinsettia are dark green; bracts look more impressive against their background. At first glance, it seems that these flowers bloomed at the top of the plant.
Poinsettia
Poinsettia red
Poinsettia red blooms during the New Year holidays. Therefore, it is often called a Christmas star. This flowering period is a rare occurrence among plants, because in winter the shortest daylight hours. Dense leaves form a volumetric crown. If the plant refuses to blush, it means that the created conditions are not satisfied with it. Most often this is the lack of rest, when a decrease in the temperature in the room is required. Bracts resembling stars create a sense of celebration, cheer up.
Poinsettia New Year's or red is most common in the flower world. This is the only plant of its kind in the wild. Then came the varieties created on the basis of the bright red predecessor, found at the beginning of the XIX century.
The leaves of one of the first artificially bred poinsettias in shape resembled an oak crown and were distinguished by a red-orange hue. Such varieties continue to be popular. For example, the poinsettia Da Vinci, except for the cut leaves, is characterized by a pale pink shade and scarlet splashes, shading the delicate color.
Poinsettia Carousel
Plants differ in leaves with convoluted edges. The inflorescences themselves have a pink hue, the crown around them is dark scarlet or lighter. So far, breeders have bred only two varieties of such poinsettias.
Poinsetia Carousel
Other species
There are poinsettias with voluminous leaves. The flower resembles a blossoming rose or peony. If the classic red poinsettia leaves are even, straight, pointed at the end, then here they are bent and slightly wrinkled. The bract seems to be made of fabric. Terry ball can have several shades. There are dairy poinsettias, scarlet and pink. Some combine several shades in the petals. Unusually looks like a plant with pink bracts with green stripes at the edges.
Plants with variegated leaves deserve special attention. Some of them have a border around the edges of a color other than the main shade. Others are characterized by light splashes randomly scattered across the foliage. For example, when looking at a variety of Jingle Bells, it seems that red leaves are covered with snow flakes, scattered in a mess on the surface. Bracts of other representatives, on the contrary, are distinguished by bright petals covered with small dots of scarlet splashes.
Home Care
Poinsettia, the care of which is not too burdensome, requires attention. If you follow the simple rules, the flower will grow and delight others with its attractive appearance. It is attention and care that will help redden milk for the Christmas holidays.
Poinsettia for Christmas
Watering
Abundant watering is required for the plant during flowering and summer. Only the topsoil in the pot should dry.
Important! Use warm water. When pouring cold liquid, it is possible to overcool the roots of the plant, which will lead to illness. Excess water from the pan under the pot needs to be removed to prevent rotting of the root system.
In winter, the soil is moistened much less frequently. The number of irrigations is reduced.
Poinsettia flower in the house how to care to provide increased humidity:
- Spraying. You can do this at some distance from the flower to prevent the formation of ugly spots on the sheet. If you spray directly the leaves of a flower, then use only warm water, as for watering;
- Use humidifiers;
- Put on the windowsill next to the poinsettia a pot of wet expanded clay or just a container of water.
Top dressing
When poinsettia blooms, home care involves the use of fertilizers containing potassium. Fertilize the soil usually from early spring to late fall. In summer, it is allowed to use mullein diluted in water. A weak solution will replace the complex of mineral fertilizers. It is necessary to apply top dressing to the soil twice a month.
Temperature
Red poinsettia how to care at home, so that the plant feels comfortable:
- Create an average temperature ranging from 18 to 24 degrees. Being in a too warm or cold room leads to a disease of the flower and its possible death. This temperature regime is required during active growth;
- When flowering, provide cooler conditions. The temperature at the same time needs about 16 degrees;
- During rest, the thermometer should drop another couple of bars. It begins after the plant fades;
- Protect from sharp changes in temperature, drafts. It must be remembered that even being near a cold window, if the leaves touch it, can be detrimental to the plant.
Step-by-step care recommendations apply to all plant varieties, but red poinsettia is most common among gardeners.
Illumination
Poinsettia flower like diffused sunlight. The plant must be protected from direct exposure to bright rays. In winter, during flowering, you need to use additional lighting. This is especially true for the evening.
Poinsettia on the windowsill
Transplant and pruning
A transplant is recommended every year. The most suitable time for this is April-May, the period after the plant is at rest. When young leaves appear on the poinsettia, you need to start the process.
For planting, soil with low acidity is used. To cook it, you will need:
- clay and turf land - 3 parts;
- sheet land - 2 parts;
- sand - 2 parts;
- peat - 1 part.
First, disinfect the soil. To do this, watered with a solution of potassium permanganate and hot water. The pot when transplanting should be larger than the previous 2-3 centimeters in diameter. To make the plant easy to take out, the day before the procedure, you need to water it abundantly. Fill the new pot with 3 cm drainage. Take out the poinsettia while keeping a lump of earth. Remove injured and dead roots. Place the plant in a new pot and cover it with prepared soil. Watering is not necessary immediately, as the soil must be moistened.
Cut the plant after flowering, leaving stems about 10 centimeters long. They also carry out the procedure after rest, when new shoots appear. In order for the forces to focus on their growth, the old ones are removed, so that about 5-6 stems remain. Cut shoots are necessary for plant propagation.
Breeding methods
Poinsettia Christmas star and other plant varieties easily breed at home. It is necessary to prepare for the process in advance so as not to harm the flower.
Seeds
Seeds are formed in plants in the natural environment after flowering. At home, they are almost impossible to get. Moreover, the properties obtained during the work of breeders are lost. Therefore, euphorbia is propagated at home by cuttings.
Cuttings
Cuttings are carried out in early summer. A section on the plant is done under a knot. At the same time, the shoot reaches a length of 8-10 centimeters. The main thing is that there are several kidneys left on it.
Note! Before planting, it is necessary that milky juice flows out of the stem. To do this, it is placed for several minutes in a glass of warm water. Milky juice is poisonous, it must be excluded from contact with eyes and mouth.
Cuttings
Then the shoot should dry at room temperature, after which it is ready for planting in the ground. For its preparation use peat and sand, take them in equal volumes.
The handle is treated with a solution that stimulates root growth, planted in a prepared mixture. In depth is placed no more than one centimeter. Otherwise, the escape may rot. The container is placed in a bright and warm place, while the temperature should be about 25 degrees. Cuttings need to be sprayed, aired. A young plant, like an adult, loves fresh air. The main thing is to eliminate drafts. Also, seedlings are covered with a film, this accelerates rooting. Usually the process lasts 3-4 weeks. After root formation, a pinch is made so that the poinsettia branches. It will also help form a beautifully shaped crown.
Plant diseases
Poinsettia can lose its appeal with improper care, lack of comfortable conditions. The plant is affected by fungi and insects.
Leaves turn yellow
In order for the eye to please poinsettia, home care should include the creation of increased humidity. Otherwise, the plant will become sick, the leaves will turn yellow, wilt and curl up into a tube. Therefore, you need to check the soil moisture and monitor the conditions in the room. The soil should never completely dry out.
Note! During the heating season, you need to spray the plant to prevent yellowing of the leaves. The main thing is that water does not fall on the inflorescences.
Excessive watering is also dangerous for poinsettia. The roots can rot with excess moisture, therefore, it is recommended to pour drainage into the pot and remove water from the pan.
Leaves fall
Poinsettia leaves fall as a result of exposure to cold. The plant is sensitive to low temperatures, so even a few minutes in the cool can harm it. As a result, the leaves curl and fall. Euphorbia often dies almost immediately after purchase. This is due to improper transportation conditions when the plant freezes when delivered home. It is better not to get poinsettia on frosty and windy days. Even if it is well packaged, it may still freeze. Gusts of wind, cold or warm, can also be harmful, which will lead to leaf falling. Therefore, it is important to protect the euphorbia from drafts and hypothermia.
Leaves fall
Lack of light causes leaves to fall from the bottom of the plant. Therefore, in winter, when the sun is not enough, you need to organize artificial lighting.
Other problems
Poinsettia is sometimes attacked by pests that cause her discomfort and threaten her health. The most commonly attacked plants are:
- Thrips. They feed on the sap of the plant, laying off colonies of larvae on the back of the leaf. Black dots can be seen on it, later it begins to fade;
- Spider mite. The first sign of the appearance of an insect is a thin web between the leaves of the plant;
- Mealybug. They find themselves lumps of cotton wool covering the leaves and stems of the plant.
Fighting them is easy. Usually a soap solution is used to wipe the leaves. After this, the plant must be rinsed under a warm shower. It is important not to wet the soil and roots. To do this, cover the pot with a film that does not allow water to pass through.
If the leaves turn black and begin to fall, it is most likely the cause of the gray rot. In addition, the flower can hit a white coating, another fungal disease. Special drugs help fight them. Recommended plant for disease transplant.
Resuscitation Methods
Growing poinsettia is not difficult. Creating comfortable conditions will help to avoid problems, and the plant will delight the eye with unusual leaves.
Note! The flower reacts to polluted air, such as tobacco smoke, from cooking fumes. Therefore, you need to keep the plant in a room where there is constant access to fresh air. It is important to avoid drafts.
It is necessary to carefully monitor the watering. If the leaves are curled and the soil is too dry, water the flower abundantly. Then a healthy look will return to it. Lower leaves may still fall. Spraying moisturizes the plant and eliminates the appearance of a spider mite.
All affected leaves must be removed so that the flower does not waste strength on them, but gives them to new shoots. Timely transplanting and pruning will help maintain a flowering appearance.
Blooming poinsettia
Poinsettia Christmas flower is popular among gardeners. This is a wonderful Christmas present that will fill the house with bright colors. Unusual leaves will delight all winter when other plants are in hibernation.
