Growing poinsettia can be quite a challenge. Many gardeners are trying to figure out how to care for her, and the result is worth it. The peculiarity of the plant is flowering on the eve of Christmas, which is why it was called the Christmas star. The flowering period lasts from January to March.
Breeding varieties
Choosing a variety is the first thing you should do to grow a poinsettia at home. Therefore, check out the table below for the main selections of the Christmas star, each of which can be grown on the windowsill.
A distinctive feature of the Christmas star flower is its susceptibility to selective breeding. The varieties listed in the table are only a small part of what the breeders managed to do. The result of their work today can be enjoyed by people who know how to care for a poinsettia at home.
| Variety | Features |
| Oak Leaf | The first artificially bred variety with petals, in shapereminiscent of oak leaves. |
| Premium Red |
Classic version of poinsettia with pointed leaves. Bracts have a bright red color, and the middle of the flowers are characterized by yellow with a greenish tinge. |
| Cortez Burgundy | This variety was grown in honor of the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes, who conquered Mexico. Bracts are purple colored. |
| Cortez Red | Dark green veins are visible on the plates surrounding the inflorescence, and the apical leaves are red. |
| Premium Miro | The bracts are pink, acquiring a white color that fades closer to the edges. |
| White Star | Peduncle dull green with a pearly sheen, and champagne bracts. |
| Cortez Pink | The leaves are pink, but closer to the top their shade changes, gradually turning to less saturated and gentle. |
| Jingle Bells | Characterized by the visual effect of snow on the foliage. Bracts are red with white margins. |
How to choose the right plant for growing on the windowsill
The adaptation period, when the flower after the store enters another habitat, is the most difficult in the life cycle of the poinsettia. How to care for a plant to quicklyadjust it to your home, read on.
The very first task is to choose from dozens of flaunting plants the one that is the most he althy and viable. To make caring for your Christmas star easier, choose wisely based on three important points:
- Purchase from a specialized store. Refuse to purchase a Christmas star on the market right away, as in winter the roots can easily freeze slightly, and the plant itself will be unviable.
- Soil mixture. The soil in the pot should be moist, but not too damp, otherwise the roots will rot. This indicates that the poinsettia was filled.
- Unopened buds. The life cycle of a plant consists of only three stages: flowering in winter, dormancy and a period of active growth. If the buds on the flower you purchased have not yet blossomed, this means that the plant is still too young and is at the first stage of development.
Keep the flower away from the cold, try to avoid window sills and frozen windows. This heat-loving plant can get foliage frostbite from touching cold glass. Therefore, it is so important to know the features of the poinsettia flower. How to care for this plant at home is described in detail below.
Rules of care
During the first three weeks, the plant adapts and gets used to the new conditions and microclimate of the room. Flowering period at optimalgrowing conditions and proper care reaches 4 months, which is important for all connoisseurs of beauty.
Light and location
In the summer, when the days are bright and long, the flower is filled with the warmth of the sun, preferring bright diffused lighting. The best place to grow in summer is the balcony or porch of the house. Keeping the Christmas star indoors at this time, you need to ventilate the room very often, completely eliminating drafts. How to care for poinsettia in winter?
In winter, when the plant enters the flowering phase, it is necessary to provide it with proper lighting. At this time, he needs a lot of light. Miss this moment, and the Christmas star will lose its colorful foliage, showering it.
In cloudy weather outside the window, take care of organizing additional artificial lighting for the poinsettia. How to care for a flower in a home microclimate, read on.
Temperature conditions
Temperature is simple. Regardless of the season, it will be comfortable to maintain the temperature regime in the range from +18 °С to +25 °С. try to avoid low temperatures during flowering and growth. For poinsettia, this is +14 °С and below.
Beginner flower growers are often interested in the question of how to care for a poinsettia (Christmas star) at the end of the flowering period, what temperature regime it should provide. Reviews of experienced gardeners indicate that plants that are in a dormant period feel comfortable at a temperature of +14 ° C.
Irrigation
Water the Christmas star frequently and generously in summer. As soon as a dry crust forms on the surface of the substrate, add another portion of water, moistening the soil. In winter, during the flowering period, she also needs good watering. In the dormant period, it is necessary to reduce the number and volume of watering to a minimum, saturating the soil in a pot with moisture no more than 1 time in 3-4 weeks.
How to care for a poinsettia plant so as not to harm the plant?
For irrigation, use pre-titrated and settled, slightly warmed (up to 30 °C) water.
Indoor humidity
Christmas star blooms and develops in the most comfortable conditions with a humidity of about 60%. A dry microclimate serves as a favorable environment for the reproduction of pests that infect a flower and for dropping leaves, while a wet one leads to problems with the root system.
Fertilization system
How to care for a poinsettia flower to ensure proper nutrition and development of the plant? Top dressing is carried out systematically 2 times a week throughout the entire life cycle, except for the spring dormant period. At this time, fertilizers are applied no more than 1 time per month. The table below shows the types of fertilizer that the plant needs.
| Season | Feeding |
| Spring, autumn | Mineral complexes in low concentration. |
| Summer | Mullein (weak solution), mineral fertilizers. |
| Winter | Potassium fertilizer for ornamental houseplants. |
Cutting the poinsettia
The Christmas star is characterized by intensive development. It grows actively and in breadth and up. In order not to turn a cute ornamental plant into a real giant that does not fit on the windowsill, it needs to be cut in time.
The procedure is carried out after the end of the flowering period, that is, in March-April. It is not difficult to care for poinsettia after flowering. Pruning of the stems is carried out cardinally, leaving green shoots up to 10 cm long above the ground in the pot. After that, the cleaned plant is placed in a room with an optimal microclimate.
In 2-3 weeks the plant will give active growth, and new shoots will appear on the cut branches. The second stage of trimming the Christmas star has arrived. Now we have to leave only 5-6 of the strongest and most viable branches with leaves.
Please note that young, discarded poinsettia shoots can be rooted in the ground to grow daughter plants.
How to care for a potted poinsettia? It must be remembered that this is a poisonous plant. Therefore, when carrying out any manipulations with it, be careful. Wear rubber gloves and keep the flower pot out of the reach of small children and pets.
Soil and transplant
Transplantation by transshipment from a replaceable container is carried out annually. The procedure is usually carried out in late spring. Poinsettia is suitable for slightly acidic soil with a pH value of 6. A potting mix is available at every speci alty store, but you can also make your own by mixing the following ingredients:
- Clay-soddy soil.
- Sheet primer.
- Sod land.
- Sand.
These components should be taken in proportion 3:2:2:1.
Don't forget the drainage for the poinsettia. How to care for a plant in order to grow a he althy flower, read on.
Features of reproduction of the Christmas star
Seed propagation is not available for two reasons:
- Fruits are extremely rare at home.
- Breeding varieties are not amenable to seed propagation, as this does not transfer characteristic features.
The desire to get a lot of plants will force any grower to practice propagating poinsettia from cuttings.
Process details
Propagation of a flower by cuttings is recommended only in the warm season. The best period is from May to August. The procedure consists of five steps. How to care for the poinsettia in the home microclimate and propagate the plant:
- With a sharp knife, cut off the shoot that you plan to use as planting material, place it in warm water. Try to do everything quickly so that the juice in the stems of the Christmas star does not flow out of them completely.
- Dip each cutting into Kornevin(this is a root fertilizer.
- Plant two shoots in a pot, immersing the cuttings in the soil no more than 1 cm. This will help to avoid rotting.
- Keep the planted plants in a room with a temperature of +24 °C to +29 °C, water frequently and systematically spray with warm water from a spray bottle.
- After 21 days, plant the cuttings in different pots.
What problems can a florist face
Poinsetia, even at a stretch, cannot be called an easy flower to grow. This plant is "naughty" for a variety of reasons. Therefore, you need to understand well how to care for the poinsettia. It can drop buds and foliage when it is in drafts, in coolness (during the growing season), in low light (meaning not only a sunny window, but also the length of the day). It can not be kept on a cold windowsill and near the battery. Poinsettias need to provide both humidity, and lighting, and watering, and top dressing.
Possible diseases
Like most houseplants, the poinsettia suffers from insect pests and various infections. She can also get sick from improper care. The table below shows the most common diseases of this flower and their causes.
| Symptoms | Reasons |
| Inflorescences turn pale | Excess moisture |
| Yellowingfoliage | Drafts |
| Leaves are falling | Root rot due to overwatering |
| Bracts do not turn the desired red color | Violated rest period |
Pests
Insufficient plant care leads not only to disease, but also to pest damage. The table below contains information about insects - the worst enemies of the poinsettia, symptoms and lesions of the plant.
| Insect | Location of defeat | Symptoms |
| Spider mites | Sheet plates | Leaves, wrapped in a web of small red bugs that parasitize the plant. |
| Mealybug | Basic stems, leaves | A characteristic feature of the disease is the formation of "cotton" pillows, yellowing of the crown of the flower. |
| Shields | Leaves | Appearance of brown plaques leading to leaf fall. |
| Thrips | Sheet plates | Twisting leaves, the appearance of undulating lesions. |
| Gray rot (caused by pathogenic fungi) | Foliage | The formation of gray spots,located at the very bottom of the sheet plates. |
Christmas flower (poinsettia): how to care for parasites
Mechanical cleaning will help get rid of a small number of pests. To do this, rinse the sponge in clean water and carefully wipe each leaf. To enhance the effect, wrap the plant pot in a plastic bag (so that the earth does not spill out) and place it under the shower to make sure to wash off the parasites. If such drastic measures prove useless, use insecticides, but only after consulting with a person who understands the means and methods of controlling harmful insects. Such an assistant is easy to find in a specialized flower shop.
You already know how to care for poinsettias, so you can understand that this is a plant that requires care. If you want to grow a Christmas star at home, get ready to take care of it seriously and responsibly.
Here it is - the poinsettia plant. How to care for and grow it on the windowsill, we described in detail in our article.
