What care is needed for indoor plants, they knowall amateur flower growers. By and large, you only need to be aware of the light and temperature conditions suitable for a particular specimen, know how to water it, and be able to propagate and transplant it. However, there are some houseplants that are far from easy to care for. For example, caring for poinsettia - the red Christmas star - will require you not only to have basic knowledge of agricultural technology, but also to be able to observe a special light regime, without which it will never bloom. And in general, poinsettia is capricious. Sometimes it just doesn’t want to bloom, sometimes its leaves turn yellow and fall off. And the owners are racking their brains trying to figure out what could have happened, whether any diseases have occurred, and how to make this capricious thing bloom at home. In a word, the most beautiful poinsettia causes a lot of trouble for amateur flower growers. But everything is compensated by the simply fabulous flowering of poinsettia. The main thing is to know about its features, to be able to properly care for it, and, if necessary, to propagate it.
General care rules
Caring for the capricious poinsettia begins withthe moment of its purchase. Choose the healthiest specimen in the flower shop. Signs of good condition of poinsettia are a large and dense crown, a short stem and dark green lower leaves. If the leaves of the flower look drooping, the stem is elongated or curved, then the flower is clearly weakened, will not please you with prolonged flowering and will not live long in your home. When the poinsettia moves from the store to your home, it will need some time to acclimatize. Try to protect it from direct sunlight during this period and not to keep it in a hot room. During acclimatization, the poinsettia should be kept at a temperature of 15-20 ° C. A decrease in temperature is also dangerous at this time. If the room becomes cool (below 10 ° C), then in these unfavorable conditions the poinsettia will lose its bright bracts. In fact, such a temperature regime is preferable during the period of active growth and flowering of the poinsettia. At the same time, it is necessary to provide the flower with bright lighting and timely watering. Poinsettia does not tolerate drought, but can also react negatively to over-moistening of the soil. Therefore, it should be watered only after the top layer of the earthen lump has dried out. If the soil is over-dried, the plant will die from lack of moisture, and if there is too much moisture, from rotting of the roots. As for lighting, the flower loves bright light, but does not tolerate direct sunlight. However, with excessive shading, leaves may begin to fall off, flowering may stop or not begin at all. By the way, the flowering of poinsettia is a separate conversation, since it is possible to make it bloom at home only with the necessary knowledge.
How to make a punchset bloom
The thing is that poinsettias have red (pink,white,) bracts appear only if a certain regime of day and night is observed. To form flower buds, it needs to be in complete darkness for at least half a day. And if you want to make poinsettia bloom, for example, for the New Year holidays, then this regime must be provided at least eight weeks before their onset. By placing the plant in a dark place for 12 or 14 hours or simply covering it with an opaque dome (box, bag), you will achieve that in two or three weeks the poinsettia will begin to form flower buds, and later bright bracts will appear. Improper watering or high temperatures can also prevent poinsettia from blooming. At this time and during the flowering period, which can last from two months to six months, poinsettia should be kept at a temperature of no higher than 20 ° C, and the most favorable temperature will be below the average norm - 15-17 ° C. With proper care, flowering will be abundant and long-lasting, and will end with the natural transition of the poinsettia into a dormant state. By the way, it is the beginning of this phase that often causes panic among poinsettia owners. After all, it is at this time that the poinsettia leaves turn yellow and fall off, even if you have cared for it correctly. However, there is no reason to panic - this is a natural process. All you have to do is put the flower away for storage and wait for the beginning of a new active phase.
The rest period
So, after flowering, the poinsettias are redthe bracts and green leaves turn yellow and fall off, and the plant itself goes into a dormant state. This period usually lasts until spring, and the plant requires special care. If possible, move the poinsettia to a dark, cool room where the temperature does not exceed 15°C, but does not fall below 10°C. Be sure to continue watering the poinsettia - the soil in the pot should never dry out. However, the plant should be watered moderately and not very often. With the onset of spring, the plant must be trimmed, continue watering in moderation and begin feeding with complex fertilizers. In about a month, the stem will begin to grow, and young leaves will appear. With the onset of warm weather, it is advisable to keep the poinsettia outdoors. However, do not forget that it does not tolerate high temperatures and direct sunlight. Start watering the flower in its usual mode, trying not to dry out or over-water the soil in the pot. Continue to feed the poinsettia, but do it less often - once every three to four weeks. At the same time, you can form the crown of the plant, periodically pruning it. With the onset of the active phase, the poinsettia can be transplanted and propagated.
Reproduction and transplantation
Poinsettia is replanted in the spring so thatthe beginning of flowering, the plant has grown stronger. For transplantation, choose a pot with a diameter slightly larger than the previous one. The flower can simply be transferred to a new pot, preserving the soil lump, and add fresh soil. But if you suspect that the poinsettia's roots have begun to rot, then the flower must be treated by cutting off the damaged roots and completely replacing the soil in the pot. Do not forget about the drainage layer when transplanting. Reproduction of poinsettia does not cause any difficulties. The fact is that at home this flower is propagated in the simplest and most accessible way - by cuttings. It is most convenient to select cuttings during pruning of the flower. Their length should not exceed 10 and be less than 7 centimeters. In addition, each cutting suitable for propagation should have 3-4 green leaves. The cuttings are immediately planted in a moistened substrate. Until the first shoots appear, the cuttings are not fed, but only watered and periodically sprayed. By the way, the propagation of poinsettia will be successful only if the substrate is constantly moderately moist and has good drainage. If moisture stagnates on young plants, fungus gnats or whiteflies may appear, and if there is a lack of moisture, the cuttings will simply dry out. After the appearance of young shoots, the plants begin to be fed, watering is resumed in the usual mode for poinsettia and shading is alternated with bright lighting. In general, from this point on, the care of young plants is the same as for adult poinsettias.
Diseases and pests
If the pouncetia leaves turn yellow or fall offafter flowering, then there is no need to panic. However, this can also be caused by plant diseases, as well as pests that have settled on the leaves. The most common poinsettia diseases are:
- Gray rot. Especially dangerous in the period of coloring bracts.
- Bacterial spotting. For this disease, poinsetia is vulnerable during dormancy and with the onset of vegetation.
- Root rot. The cause of this disease is excessive watering.
Also, like other houseplants,poinsettias are susceptible to fungal and viral diseases, bacterial rot, and leaf rust. All these diseases are treated with special or complex preparations, which can be purchased in flower shops. Another problem that indoor poinsettias are susceptible to is pests. The most common of them are:
- whitefly,
- mealybug;
- a spider mite;
- a mushroom mosquito,
- greenhouse aphid.
It is quite easy to fight them. Regular insecticides will help to quickly get rid of pests. The main thing is to notice them in time and not let these insects cause significant harm to the flower.
Other problems and issues
For poinsettia, flowering is the main thingdecorative value. This is actually why these indoor plants are bred. And why some gardeners' poinsettias do not bloom is a matter of proper forcing. If the light and temperature conditions are observed, as well as if the plant is properly maintained during the dormant period, it will definitely bloom. Why do indoor poinsettias not resume growth after the dormant period? The only reason for this can be improper care: excessive watering, overdrying of the soil lump, too low a temperature in the room. Yellowing of the leaves can be both a sign of the poinsettia going into a dormant state and a sign of some disease. But if you properly care for this extraordinary plant, provide it with a comfortable temperature regime and proper watering, then even at home it will repeatedly delight you with its wonderful flowering. And although caring for poinsettias cannot be called completely easy, it is its flowering that will more than compensate for all your efforts. We recommend reading:
