Poinsettia plants are part of Christmas as much as mistletoe, pudding, trees and turkey. While they are a colorful addition to any Christmas decoration, no one said you aren’t allowed to enjoy them for longer. With just a bit of care, you could still have them at Easter and still as colorful as when you bought them.
The Poinsettia, or to give it its Latin name Euphorbia pulcherrima (the latter means ‘the most beautiful’), is a member of the spurge family. Its home is Mexico and Central America. This doesn’t mean it likes heat, it prefers warmish temperatures much more than any extremes. The best temperature to keep it in is from 16 to 20 °C or room temperature, to say it in as many words. It will last longer in constant 16 °C than in constant 20 °C. It is able to cope with lower temperatures; higher temperatures on the other hand might lead to problems because of the amount of water needed. The plants like a constant environment and should be kept from frequent temperature fluctuations. When buying plants on a very cold or even freezing day, they should be wrapped well to keep them from harm.
Water management is an important part of keeping a Poinsettia in health. Like us, it doesn’t like to get its feet wet, meaning that too little water will do less harm than too much. Don’t let water accumulate in its pot. The top layer of soil should go dry from time to time; use your fingers to check if it needs watering or not. Don’t let the soil go bone dry all the way through, though. If you intend to keep the plant for some time, give it some liquid plant food once a month. It is available in any supermarket; instructions on measurements and quantities needed are given on the bottle.
When placing your plant at home, look for a place with lots of light. Avoid putting it into full daylong sunlight in a window. Plants may get sunburn, too, and hot sunlight burning through a window pane is the way to inflict just that on it. Windows exposing it to morning or evening light only on the other hand are a perfect place to keep a Poinsettia happy. The color in the bracts is dependent on the amount of light available to the plant; if it has little light, then their colour will be light; if it has lots of light, then their color will be a dark one.
The plants will keep their colorful leaves for months on end. The red leaves (they do come in other colors, too, but red is the color for Christmas, after all) are not the flower, these are hidden inside the cluster of leaves forming the eye catching star pattern. The ‘flowers’ you may see inside the leave clusters are not the flower of the Poinsettia, either. They are in fact flower groups consisting of several male flowers grouped about a single female flower. The male flowers consist of a single stamen each and they are arranged in a circle around a female flower. This arrangement is called a cyathium (plural cyathia). After the flowers have died, the bracts (as the colored top leaves are called) may stay red for months.
Other places to go to
Cyclamen: Perfect Winter Companion
How to Keep Your Christmas Tree Fresh Over The Holiday Season
Hyacinths For Christmas Decoration
Water management is an important part of keeping a Poinsettia in health. Like us, it doesn’t like to get its feet wet, meaning that too little water will do less harm than too much. Don’t let water accumulate in its pot. The top layer of soil should go dry from time to time; use your fingers to check if it needs watering or not. Don’t let the soil go bone dry all the way through, though. If you intend to keep the plant for some time, give it some liquid plant food once a month. It is available in any supermarket; instructions on measurements and quantities needed are given on the bottle.
When placing your plant at home, look for a place with lots of light. Avoid putting it into full daylong sunlight in a window. Plants may get sunburn, too, and hot sunlight burning through a window pane is the way to inflict just that on it. Windows exposing it to morning or evening light only on the other hand are a perfect place to keep a Poinsettia happy. The color in the bracts is dependent on the amount of light available to the plant; if it has little light, then their colour will be light; if it has lots of light, then their color will be a dark one.
The plants will keep their colorful leaves for months on end. The red leaves (they do come in other colors, too, but red is the color for Christmas, after all) are not the flower, these are hidden inside the cluster of leaves forming the eye catching star pattern. The ‘flowers’ you may see inside the leave clusters are not the flower of the Poinsettia, either. They are in fact flower groups consisting of several male flowers grouped about a single female flower. The male flowers consist of a single stamen each and they are arranged in a circle around a female flower. This arrangement is called a cyathium (plural cyathia). After the flowers have died, the bracts (as the colored top leaves are called) may stay red for months.
Other places to go to
Cyclamen: Perfect Winter Companion
How to Keep Your Christmas Tree Fresh Over The Holiday Season
Hyacinths For Christmas Decoration
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