How to make the poinsettia bloom longer: trick with watering

A poinsettia, or Christmas star, can become a luxurious winter home decoration thanks to its bright red bracts that last for weeks. But they will be the first leaves that the plant will shed if you don't provide optimal care and conditions.

Experts from the British Royal Horticultural Society told us how to properly care for poinsettias so that they look luxurious all winter long. They explained how to choose and maintain the plant so that it will delight you for many years.

Choose the right plant

When buying a flowerpot for home in a supermarket or garden center, pay attention to the condition of the poinsettia. Do not expect to revive a frail flower if you have no experience in caring for it. Choose a plant that has a good tone, does not show any signs of wilting, and does not shed its leaves.

Take care of safe relocation

Moving to a new place is a huge stress for any plant, because in nature they spend their entire life where they germinated. Therefore, temperature fluctuations, new lighting conditions, and even unusual air flows can worsen the condition of the plant. To ensure that your pansy has a good settlement, make sure that the temperature in the room where it will grow does not drop below 13-16 degrees Celsius. Also, wrap it in a plastic bag while you are taking it home - it should not freeze on the way. Make sure that it does not start to shed its leaves after moving. This process can be very difficult to stop, if not impossible.

Watering rules

Proper watering is very important for poinsettias. If you want to cope with the care of the flower, take into account one main rule - you need to add water to the substrate only when the top layer of the earth is well dry. If the top 2-3 cm of soil has evaporated all the moisture, then it's time for a new watering.

The best way to moisten the Christmas star is by immersion. Fill a deep bowl with soft, settled, or filtered water at room temperature. It should never be cold. Then place the flower pot in this bowl. In about 10-15 minutes, it should absorb all the moisture it needs. All you have to do is remove the flowerpot and let it drain freely. When the water stops dripping out of the drainage hole, you can put the plant back in its place.

Spraying and fertilizing

The duration of flowering of poinsettia is affected by air humidity. Therefore, make sure that the atmosphere in the room where the plant lives is not too dry. If you want to maximize the life of the flowers, spray the plant daily with settled water.

As for fertilizers, mineral fertilizers with a high potassium content are most suitable for poinsettias. These, for example, include mixtures for tomatoes. In winter, they should be applied once a month, and not be too zealous with the concentration so as not to harm the root system of the plant.

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