Poinsettias are not without reason considered difficult to care for. The plants often die after a short time. This is usually due to mistakes in maintenance or the wrong location. What you can do to save a poinsettia after all.
If the care of the poinsettia has been neglected, a rescue program can help
Saving a freshly bought poinsettia
Poinsettias from the supermarket are usually of poorer quality. They are kept far too moist before purchase, are too cool or too draughty. These plants cannot always be saved. Better to go for quality and buy your poinsettia from the nursery.
If the poinsettia, which initially looks healthy, shows sagging shoot tips or if the leaves are turning yellow, you can save the plant. For this you should:
- Stuff the poinsettia
- rinse soil
- Fill the pot with fresh soil for poinsettias
- Plant poinsettia again
The soil must be loose and water-storing. Make your own substrate from peat, earth, volcanic rock or other components yourself.
Treating dried poinsettias
It is rare for the poinsettia to dry out. Dry heating air or excessive exposure to the sun are usually responsible for this.
Cut off dried shoots. Immerse the pot with the poinsettia in water that is not too cold for a short time until the substrate has soaked up again.
Increase the humidity by placing water bowls and provide a little more shade in direct sunlight.
When the poinsettia is too wet
The most common problem that occurs with the poinsettia is watering too frequently and heavily. Poinsettias prefer it dry to moist and do not tolerate waterlogging.
If the plant is too wet, let it dry out for a few days to save it. Use pots with a large drainage hole so that the roots do not stand directly in the water. This causes root rot.
Water poinsettias moderately only when the substrate has dried up. Immediately pour off excess water from the planter.
tips
Contrary to the opinion of many flower lovers, poinsettias are not annuals but perennials. With a little trick, you can make them bloom again every year. They only need to be placed in the dark for a few weeks.