The appearance of the “Christmas star” is familiar even to those who have never grown indoor plants. Its nickname is the most beautiful euphorbia, or Poinsettia received by right. Bright, like giant flowers, bushes of multi-colored poinsettias fill everything around on the eve of winter and have long become one of the main symbols of the cozy atmosphere of the Christmas holidays. They are considered almost must-haves to buy in December. Most often, they are thrown away after they have lost their beauty. But these are still full-fledged perennial plants, although they do not have the simplest character.
Poinsettia, or the fairest Euphorbia
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Bright Christmas symbol in potted format
Botanical name Euphorbia is the most beautiful, or the Most Beautiful (euphorbia pulcherimma) does not say anything to many true fans of poinsettias. The plant, whose popular nicknames so eloquently celebrate its striking appearance, is still more often sold under the old name of poinsettia (or poinsettia). But they know this culture, first of all, as a “New Year”, “Christmas” or “Bethlehem” star and Christmas euphorbia. Bright bract leaves turn a nondescript deciduous plant into a very noticeable, dazzling one.
The most beautiful spurge is a plant from the Euphorbia family. Earlier, instead of the genus Euphorbia, this culture was isolated as an independent genus Poinsettia, but the classification was revised a long time ago. In nature, euphorbia poinsettia are found not only in Mexico, but they are still associated with the local flora. In the mild subtropical climate of Central America, which has given us many bright garden stars, they amaze the imagination with their riot of colors.
Poinsettias-euphorbia are plants whose belonging to succulents and euphorbia is not so easy to guess. This culture seems to be a simple herbaceous perennial with large leaves, but very dazzling in texture and color. Poinsettias are short-day plants, whose time to show off comes when most indoor crops leave for a long period of dormancy and suffer from a lack of light.
Euphorbia is the most beautiful – far from modest in size, but artificially restrained indoor culture. Belonging to evergreen shrubs that can grow up to 150 cm in height is not easy to guess in a room culture. Indeed, after flowering, after the bracts, the most beautiful euphorbia usually sheds all the foliage.
Depending on the formation strategy, the size of poinsettia can either be limited to a modest 10-15 cm, or reach the “standard” of 30-50 cm, or even exceed 1 m, being without any control.
Poinsettias grow in the form of dense bushes with straight shoots, less often – standard single-stemmed trees (most often, the tree-like form is artificially ripened). Among the modern varieties there are mini-plants and ampelous forms. True, the latter are still inferior in popularity to conventional varieties. Poinsettias have hollow, straight and stiff stems.
Large poinsettia leaves are their main pride. Large, oval-diamond-shaped, finger-cut, somewhat reminiscent of maple, with a large toothed edge and pointed tip, they are inimitable and easily recognizable. The large leaves of the milkweed are unique in their texture. Matte velvety leaves seem luxurious, and the dark green color with a cold emerald sheen only emphasizes the beauty of the amazing corduroy texture. For many milkweed, all leaves flaunt an unusual reddish or chocolate tint.
But the more attention is still attracted to the inflorescences of poinsettia: at the top of the shoot, a dense rosette of smaller bracts is formed, often slightly different in shape and radically different in color from the main foliage. Bright, repainted in dazzling tones – red, cream, pink, bright green, salmon, lemon, cream leaves create the illusion of a flower due to the symmetrical arrangement.
They fit snugly in a stunning star shape. The flowers and inflorescences of poinsettia themselves are almost invisible – nondescript, small, they are invisible against the background of luxurious apical leaves with a bright color. The yellowish coloration gives them a resemblance to anthers, and this illusion enhances the resemblance of rosettes of bracts to flowers. As it blooms, this main decoration of the plant is repainted and merged with ordinary foliage, and then the bracts gradually fall off.
Interesting varieties of the most beautiful milkweed
The choice of varieties of the finest milkweed is made primarily by the size, shape and color of the apical leaves. There are varieties with a wrinkled surface and almost smooth, strict leaves, deformed, strongly pointed and even curled downward tips of the leaves, creating the effect of roundness.
The name of the poinsettia variety usually indicates the color – light green-lemon leaves of the variety Limelight, dazzling scarlet Red velvet, candy pink Other Pink, white-leaved Other Whitelike wine shade Burgundyis easy to predict. But the choice is always better to make when buying according to the appearance of the plant and its tastes.
The flowering period of the most beautiful milkweed, and, accordingly, the period of repainting of the bracts, falls on the winter. Poinsettias are always grown to be on sale in November and December, ahead of their favorite winter holidays. The poinsettia season ends in March-April.
Poinsettia ‘Annet Pink’. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com 613613nin
ะัะฐะฝัะธััะธั โAnnet Whiteโ. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Mass. State Lottery โ
ะัะฐะฝัะตััะธั โBurgundyโ. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Floplants
Growing conditions for indoor poinsettia
Poinsettias are light-loving, thermophilic, rather capricious plants. The selection of conditions, as well as the complexity of growing the finest milkweed, in general, directly depends on the strategy. If the plant is bought as a seasonal decor and is planning to be thrown away, there are many more options available in terms of the choice of lighting, temperature, and even care. If poinsettia is grown as a full-fledged perennial crop, you will have to approach the issue of creating ideal conditions for it more carefully.
In their development, euphorbia poinsettia go through an incomplete rest period, which is recognized by the cessation of growth. Plants most often shed their leaves, after flowering they require a drier period of 6 weeks. Only a slight change in temperature and control over the duration of daylight hours is “responsible” for the stimulation of flowering.
Care must be taken when working with the most beautiful milkweed. This is still euphorbia, the juice of which is no less poisonous than that of its counterparts. When pruning, transplanting, any manipulations, it is better to protect the skin from the ingress of milky juice. Poinsettias should be used with caution by those with small children and pets who are often attracted to the bright color of the leaves.
Lighting and placement
Poinsettias are often seen as a living decor designed to decorate interiors ahead of the winter holidays. But this is a light-loving plant that will not retain its luxurious leaves for a long time without good lighting. Placing bushes in the back of rooms, away from windows, on tables, dressers or stands, of course, is very impressive, but poinsettias in such places will not be comfortable.
In order to admire the leaves not for several weeks, but for several months, and even preserve the plant for next year and make it bloom again, it is worth taking care of good lighting. Poinsettias do not like the direct sun, preferring diffused lighting. But in winter, even the southern windowsills will not be dangerous for them.
During the winter months, it is better for the plant to take care of additional illumination of the poinsettia, especially if the weather is cloudy for a long time. The intensity of illumination does not coincide with its stability: at different stages of development, the most beautiful euphorbia requires different lengths of daylight hours.
The flowering of poinsettias, maintained year after year, is stimulated mainly by lighting – its reduction at first to 10-11, and then only to 8 hours a day. Without short daylight hours, the poinsettia does not form flowers, and the apical leaves will not color in the typical dazzling tones.
Plants are placed in a brightly lit place about two months before the desired start of flowering, where it will enjoy the sun for 8-10 hours a day, or supplementary lighting is installed to create similar conditions, but for the remaining 14-16 hours they are covered with a hood or light-tight box. protecting even from light artificial lighting inside living rooms.
So, if poinsettias want to make them bloom by the beginning of the winter holidays, they begin to cover them for 14 hours already in October. The increase in the duration of daylight hours should be smooth, gradually the plant is shaded for an increasingly shorter period, starting to change the maintenance regime a few weeks before the holidays.
During the dormant period of the poinsettia, after flowering, for 6 weeks, plants, especially those that have shed all the leaves, can be placed where it is convenient. The quality of the lighting will only matter once active growth begins.
Temperature control and ventilation
The sensitivity of the most beautiful milkweed to both cold and heat significantly complicates its cultivation. Finding a comfortable place for a plant is not easy. Poinsettia does not like lowering less than 15 degrees, but it is not advisable to allow values โโabove 25 degrees.
If during the rest of the year the plant can adapt to almost any conditions, then during the flowering period, if you want to admire the bright leaves for a longer time, you need to maintain the air temperature from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius.
After flowering and pruning, it is advisable to move the poinsettia to a cool place if the flowering has not lasted for a long time and, in principle, it is possible to do this. The optimal room temperature is below 20 degrees Celsius, about 15-18 degrees.
It is better to maintain similar temperatures in the few months that the plant contains with an artificial controlled short daylight hours in late autumn and early winter. This allows you to achieve a fairly abundant poinsettia bloom and brighter shades of apical bracts.
All temperature changes should be soft and gradual. When buying poinsettias, especially new varieties of compact sizes, it is better to clarify the parameters of wintering: sometimes in flower centers, flowering is stimulated by keeping it at a temperature of 10 to 15 degrees. And next year, it is these values โโthat will be optimal for the plant and at home.
If poinsettia is bought for only one season, moderate temperatures are suitable for it – from 18 to 20 degrees Celsius, which will allow to stretch the flowering for a longer period.
Restrictions on the minimum temperature value should be taken into account when buying new plants; despite the “winter” status, poinsettias do not tolerate cold and it is not worth buying them where plants are in temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius, because the plant most likely will not survive.
Poinsettias love fresh air, but cannot stand drafts and temperature changes. Airing or taking out to the garden or balconies in the summer has a positive effect on the growth of the plant. But it is necessary to carefully monitor night temperatures and protect poinsettia from direct sun.
If poinsettia is bought for only one season, moderate temperatures are suitable for it – from 18 to 20 degrees Celsius. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com maxmaria
Poinsettia home care
Poinsettias should be counted among the most demanding plants, although they are touted as crops for everyone. Without careful care and careless watering, success cannot be achieved with them. If poinsettias are bought only for the season, the quality of care is not significant. But for those who want to preserve the bushes, every little thing matters.
Watering and air humidity
The most beautiful spurge is afraid of stagnant water. Too abundant watering and constant high soil moisture for this plant can be very dangerous. Even in the warm season, watering is carried out carefully, allowing the upper layer of the substrate to dry out, maintaining a light stable soil moisture.
The approximate frequency of watering is 2 times a week. In the cold season, straits are carried out very carefully, reducing humidity, but trying not to let the soil dry out completely. During the dormant phase after flowering, for about 6 weeks, watering is reduced, allowing the soil to dry completely or almost completely and keeping the poinsettia dry. After transplanting or when signs of growth appear for the plant, they begin to maintain a stable moisture content.
Despite the fact that poinsettias are plants that conquer with their matte, velvety leaves and, in general, belong to the number of succulents, they adore high air humidity. When choosing conditions and care for them, it is worth dwelling on its maximum possible values.
Moisture indicators are of critical importance during the period of budding and flowering. At this time, humidifiers must be installed for poinsettia (at least trays with wet pebbles or moss) or regular neat spraying is introduced into the care program (moisture drops should not accumulate on the leaves).
Top dressing and composition of fertilizers
Euphorbia is the finest fed almost all year, with the exception of a short conditional rest period, but significantly changing the concentration and frequency of feeding. The plant needs active feeding in summer (or from the moment new leaves grow back in May), from June to October before increasing lighting to stimulate flowering.
Since November, poinsettias are transferred to twice as rare dressings or, accordingly, the dose of fertilizers is reduced. If the plant is kept cool, top dressing can be omitted, resuming in the form of twice as rare procedures or halving the concentration of fertilizers until the end of the flowering period and the beginning of repainting in the green color of bracts.
During the period of active growth, in summer and early autumn, poinsettias are fed with complex or complete mineral fertilizers. During the flowering period, it is best to use fertilizers with a high potassium content.
Trimming and shaping poinsettias
Euphorbia is the finest in garden and flower centers, treated with special inhibitors: their compact and lush shape is explained not only by high-quality pruning, but also by restraining growth by chemical means. Usually, after purchase, the plants change and begin to grow quite rapidly. But the disclosure of the true characteristics of the variety does not always lead to a loss of decorativeness, it also provides an opportunity to assess the true character of the plant.
Pruning is needed only for those poinsettias that are grown independently from cuttings and formed from scratch, and for bushes that nevertheless decided to grow as a perennial plant. Pruning after flowering.
The shoots are shortened by at least 1/3 of the height or to stumps of 10 cm to obtain the most compact bushes, stimulating the growth of new branches. Poinsettia pruning marks the beginning of a dormant period that continues until the leaves begin to grow. As new shoots grow, bushes can be formed, leaving about 5-6 stems to obtain a classic bushy plant.
Trimming for the trunk is carried out according to the standard method. An increase in the degree of pruning of shoots to short stumps allows the formation of more compact or flat bushes, a decrease in the degree of pruning after flowering – open and powerful spreading plants.
Pruning is only needed by those poinsettias that are grown independently from cuttings and formed from scratch. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Maria Moffa Levenson
Transplant, containers and substrate
This plant is replanted annually, after the dormant period is over. Poinsettias begin to grow quite late, after the end of flowering, the plants go through a short period of rest, and in May they resume rapid growth. At the beginning of the growth of new leaves and shoots, it is worth replanting this plant.
Euphorbia is the finest surprisingly undemanding to the composition and characteristics of the soil, when it comes to loose and high-quality soil for indoor plants. A universal substrate or special soil mixtures for decorative deciduous plants is perfect for him. When self-mixing, any version of a loose, nutritious soil mixture will do. A slightly acidic soil reaction is preferable.
For poinsettia, containers are selected from among the most compact and decorative options. The presence of drainage holes is obligatory, as well as laying a high, up to 1/3 of the height of the container, drainage layer.
It is better to transfer the plant carefully, avoiding root injuries. After transplanting, poinsettia adapt better in stable, low temperatures, without heat, with medium or high humidity. After transplanting, a stable soil moisture is maintained for the plant.
Diseases, pests and growing problems
Poinsettias can hardly be called invulnerable indoor crops. In addition to rot when the soil is damp, they are threatened by almost all known pests. The fairest spurge often suffers from spider mites, aphids, thrips, scale insects and whiteflies. It is better to fight any pests on plants immediately with insecticide treatments, other measures, most often, do not bring results.
Common problems in growing poinsettia:
- yellowing of leaves with improper watering or low air humidity;
- wilting of leaves or shedding of leaves with extreme waterlogging or complete drying of the substrate;
- shedding of inflorescences and inflorescences in dry air;
- yellowing and drying of leaf tips in dry air;
- shedding of leaves, depression, drying out of shoots at the wrong temperatures or a sharp change in temperature;
- bracts turn pale or spots appear on the leaves when wet and overflowing.
Poinsettia will not retain its luxurious leaves for a long time without good lighting. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com floral-house
Reproduction of poinsettia
Euphorbia remains one of the most difficult indoor plants to reproduce. They often prefer to buy new bushes, rather than grow them on their own, because the process of cuttings is the most productive and the only widely used method of propagating poinsettia, but it is quite complicated and often only professionals can do it.
Cuttings of the most beautiful milkweed should be cut from the shoots so that they have from 4 to 6 internodes. Shoots can only be cut during dormancy or when the plant begins to grow. The cuttings are dried, the sections are processed, stopping the release of poisonous white juice. Rooting is carried out in light soil, under a hood, under controlled conditions, after treatment with growth stimulants. Heat and cold, as well as fluctuations in humidity, are very dangerous during this period.
