The Poinsettia, also known as Euphorbia or Poinsetia, includes several plants that do not seem to be possible to be related: Crown of Thorns, Poisetia and Euphorbia.
Poinsettia is a species of Mexican origin, super popular , which in its natural habitat can be transformed into a shrub of considerable size. It also has bright green oval leaves, although it is much more famous for its rosettes of red flowers, which are actually false leaves, which arise at the ends of the branches, surrounding small yellow flowers.
You may also be interested in: The garden at home | What to plant in April?
Red bracts form when autumn ends and growers say their peak time will be at Christmas. In case you didn’t know, there are also other varieties of the Poinsettia with white, pink and yellow bracts .
Cares of the Poinsettia in spring and summer
When the red bracts of the Poinsettia have withered, you will have the option to discard it , or encourage it to produce new bracts. To do this, cut the plant to its base, leaving approximately 10 cm of stem. Keep the compost moist, taking care not to get waterlogged.
Take care that the temperature of the room is normal and provide good light for a month, but do not give direct sunlight. Then, soak it in water so that it grows again and place it in another pot of equal size with soil-based compost.
Put it back in a corner of your house where it can receive indirect bright light and water it every time you feel that the compost is losing moisture. Do not forget to add a few drops of liquid fertilizer to the water every two weeks during the summer season, and prune the Euphorbia if its growth is too excessive . Keep five stems at least so that the growth of the Poinsettia is strong and compact.
Cares of the poinsettia in autumn and winter
When autumn is approaching, you will have to regulate the light that Poinsettia receives, for 14 hours per day, to generate bracts . This means from sunset to sunrise. Do this every day for two months.
Then, you should put the plant in a room where it gives indirect light and where the temperature is normal. Water the plant slightly and do not fertilize it. When Christmas comes, you will surely have your beautiful red bracts and small creamy yellow flowers.
Problems of Poinsettia
Do not forget that Euphorbia can suffer yellowing of its leaves if you place it in a place where there are drafts or fumes . If this happens, place the plant in a less vulnerable place.
On the other hand, if the red bracts and green leaves are discolored, it is probably due to excess irrigation. Therefore, before watering it again, wait for it to dry.
It should be noted that the green aphid usually feeds on the sap of Poinsettia , causing widespread weakening and causing the plant to yellow. Combine it with a malathion-based insecticide, or use the Calipso AL polyvalent insecticide, which is resistant to watering and rain. This penetrates the plant quickly, distributing itself through the sap and controls pests such as aphids , mealybugs , geraniums , etc.
