The poinsettia has blossomed into one of the most popular plants with which we decorate window sills and living rooms at Christmas time. Growing poinsettias is not easy. The plants need the right care. Tips and tricks for growing poinsettias.

Growing poinsettias requires a green thumb and patience

Poinsettias are perennial plants

Even if poinsettias are usually only grown for one season, the plants are actually perennial. They are often discarded because no new bracts form.

With a trick, a poinsettia can also be made to bloom again. It just needs to be darkened for several weeks before the next season.

Caring for a poinsettia properly

  • Don't water too often
  • fertilize little
  • keep warm and bright
  • no draft
  • spend the summer outside if possible
  • put in the dark for several weeks
  • repot in spring

Poinsettias have a reputation for being demanding to care for. In most cases, the plants only suffer from too much moisture. A poinsettia likes it dry and should therefore only be watered moderately. When it gets waterlogged, it collapses.

A sense of proportion is also required when fertilizing. Cutting is only necessary if the poinsettia gets too out of shape. If you grow it as a bonsai, you have to cut it back regularly.

To keep a poinsettia developing colored bracts for several years, darken it for six to eight weeks prior to the desired flowering time. If you don't have a suitable place, simply put a cardboard box over the plant.

multiply poinsettias

You can grow offshoots of poinsettias yourself from cuttings. The best time for propagation is spring before the plant is sent on its summer break.

The poinsettia is poisonous

Poinsettias are spurge plants that contain a poisonous milky sap. For animals such as cats, the risk of poisoning is greater than for humans.

Nevertheless, you should only care for a poinsettia with gloves if possible. The milky juice can trigger inflammatory skin reactions in sensitive people.

tips

Poinsettias can not only be kept as a potted plant. The shoots with their colored bracts also cut a fine figure as cut flowers. It is important that the cut ends are treated with heat so that the milky juice cannot escape.

Category:

Indoor plants