The radiance of a Christmas star on the windowsill. How to care for red poinsettia at home?

Poinsettia is red, the euphorbia is magnificent, the Christmas star is a plant that gained fame thanks to the first US ambassador to Mexico, Dr. Joel Poinsett. He was the first to take this euphorbia from his homeland and was engaged in its cultivation and selection.

Initially, it was a shrub up to three meters high. During breeding, hybrid varieties with a height of less than 30 cm were bred for cultivation at home.

General information

Poinsettia red is a plant of the family euphorbiaceae. The natural habitat is the tropical part of Mexico and Central America. In its native environment, grows up to three meters in height. When grown at home, it rarely reaches a height of more than 50 cm.

The leaves are dark green, 12-15 centimeters long, having an ovoid-elliptical shape with jagged edges. The flowers are small and yellowish, during flowering, red bracts are formed under them. It is thanks to them that the plant gained popularity among flower growers.

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The high decorativeness of poinsettia is difficult to question. The brightness of this winter beauty conquers at first sight.

Benefit and harm

The juice of the plant contains substances that can bring both benefits and have an adverse effect on humans and pets. The composition of the plant includes:

• alkaloids;
• saponins;
• gum;
• resin;
• Apple acid;
• euphorbin;
• beta-amyrin;
• taraxerol;
• resiniferol;
• alpha euphorbol;
• eufol;
• selenium;
• B vitamins;
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin H
• iron;
• iodine.

1. Juice is used as a traditional medicine to remove warts and relieve itching in places of insect bites.
2. Juice and poultices are used as an anesthetic for toothache and joint pain.
3. It is believed that juice reduces the risk of developing mastopathy and improves lactation.

The general toxicity of the plant is often too exaggerated, despite the irritating property of the juice, it is practically impossible for a person to poison it, but there is a danger of allergic reactions, especially in people with latex intolerance. mucous membranes, can cause a burning sensation and provoke profuse salivation. If a large amount of juice gets into the digestive tract, its disorders are possible.

Despite the insignificant effect of the Christmas star on the body, all manipulations associated with the release of juice are recommended to be carried out after protecting the hands with gloves. And during the flowering period to limit access to it for children and pets.

How to care at home?

Immediately after purchase

During the transportation of poinsettia from the place of purchase, it is necessary to ensure the most warm conditions. Then proceed to the choice of place for its placement. It is necessary to find a place without drafts and away from heating appliances.

After setting the Christmas star, a three-week adaptation period begins with the following withdrawal scheme:

• Temperature mode 16 - 24 degrees with a lot of scattered light.
• Spraying standing warm water 1 - 2 times a day to maintain high humidity.
• Watering the same water once every two days without excess soil moisture.

After the poinsettia is acclimatized, it is desirable to transplant it into a clay pot. The pot should not be too large (height - two times less than the height of the plant, width - two times wider than the earthen lump), otherwise accumulation of excess moisture is possible. If this is not possible, then fertilizing with flowering plants is carried out and they begin to care for an adult, healthy plant.

Light mode

They recommend the maximum possible exposure to diffused light during growth and during flowering. Direct sunlight can damage poinsettias.

Temperature

In active periods support 18 - 25 degrees. In the period after flowering, the temperature regime is reduced to 12 - 14 degrees. During the flowering period, for its extension, a temperature of 17 - 20 degrees is recommended. The night temperature should be lower than the daytime, otherwise the plant growth will slow down.

Watering

Moderate, without accumulation of excess moisture. The indicator for irrigation is the drying of the top layer of the earth. During the dormant period, the intervals between waterings increase. To prevent root decay, the water accumulated in the pan is drained 30 minutes after watering.

Humidity

Poinsettia red is a flower that prefers high air humidity, so frequent, regular sprayings with warm water are carried out. During flowering, air is sprayed near the plant or an air humidifier is used. When humidity is less than 40%, the plant begins to die.

Top dressing

After the beginning of the growth period and before the flowering begins, complex mineral fertilizers are applied every two weeks at a 0.8% dosage. They can be replaced with calcium nitrate with trace elements, it is applied every 10 days. It is also recommended to use foliar top dressing to avoid diseases due to micronutrient deficiency. During the flowering period, only potash fertilizers are used for decorative flowering plants.

Pruning

Usually carried out in March - April, after flowering. This is done so that in the future the flower is not "bald". Then put it in a bright place. Leave only the strongest stems. After trimming, only rods no more than 10 cm long should remain in the pot.

Read more about caring for poinsettia in this article.

How to propagate?

Seeds

To propagate poinsettia seeds, perform the following steps:

1. Pollinate flowers with a cotton bud or brush.
2. Seed boxes are collected at the beginning of the fall of the leaves and sent to dry in paper bags without moisture. Open the boxes when they turn brown.
3. Lay out the seeds on moistened soil and, slightly sprinkled with soil on top, leave for 3 months in the refrigerator.
4. Seedlings dive. The grown plants are planted in separate pots and taken care of as adults.

Cuttings

For propagation by cuttings, you can use specially cut off parts of shoots and those remaining after the pruning procedure. Do it like this:

1. The upper shoot is selected with 5-6 buds up to 15 cm long and cut under the lower bud. The lower leaves from the stem are removed.
2. The shank is soaked in warm water for 20 to 30 minutes to drain the milky juice. Then blot with a napkin and disinfected with activated charcoal. Dip into a powder or a solution of the drug to stimulate root growth.
3. Planted in small containers with drainage holes (about 250 ml), filled with perlite and washed sand to a depth of not more than 3 cm.
4. Contain at a temperature of 16 - 22 degrees in bright diffused light. Water regularly, but not excessively. Regular ventilation is recommended.
5. After 45-60 days, the stems with roots are transplanted into large pots and looked after like adult poinsettias.

You can learn more about the methods of propagation of poinsettia here.

How does the plant bloom?

Poinsettia flowers themselves are small and nondescript, rosettes of red leaves give a beautiful decorative look during the flowering of poinsettia. The color change of leaves from green to red begins in early December and lasts up to 5 months. After flowering, the green color will return again and the leaves will fall.

What to do if it does not bloom?

A Christmas star is a whimsical pet, which for a grower means the need to exclude any adverse effects for her, as they can delay flowering indefinitely. Therefore, it is recommended to stimulate it.

Since the beginning of October, poinsettias have been hosting a blackout period of 8 weeks. To do this, cover the Christmas star with a blanket, a box, an opaque cap for 14 - 15 hours a day.

The temperature regime is 15-16 degrees at night and 20-21 degrees during the day. It is very important that neither sunlight nor artificial light gets into a closed plant even for a short time. By the beginning of December, buds should already form on the shoots and blackout should be removed. The plant is placed in a bright place and looked after as an adult and healthy during flowering.

Despite the fact that poinsettia is quite difficult to grow because of the high exposure to adverse factors and because of the exacting conditions of its maintenance, a flower grower who clearly observes all the recommendations on maintenance and care regimes will be able to observe its decorative flowering all winter and will understand why this euphorbia is called the most beautiful.

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