Since the center of November, many procuring facilities, outlets and flower outlets have included one of the most recognizable symbols of Christmas of their assortment – the poinsettia, an indescribably stunning potted plant, which only some will resist this 12 months.
Poinsettias plant has a really fascinating previous. It was found by the Spanish conquerors once they sailed to the shores of present-day Mexico, the place they discovered a plant with stunning, vibrant purple leaves that was fully unknown to them till then.
Although she delighted them along with her magnificence, they didn’t “warm up” to her, so they didn’t even take her with them once they returned to their homeland.
Luck smiled on her after greater than 300 years when Joel Robert Poinsett, the first American ambassador to Mexico, observed her and introduced a number of specimens to the backyard of his residence in South Carolina. In his honor, the plant was named Poinsettia pulcherrima, as we speak Euphorbia pulcherrima.
It is thought worldwide as the Christmas Star (Italian: Stella di Natale, English: Weihnachtstern) because of the indisputable fact that the coloured leaves at the high of the plant seem at Christmas time.
Although many individuals see a flower in the painted leaves at the high of the plant, they’re really flowering leaves (bractea), whose operate is to draw bugs that pollinate the plant. If you look a little bit nearer at the plant, you’ll discover small, unpleasant yellow flowers close to its high.
In its homeland, the poinsettia grows in humid areas, the place it kinds stunning bushes of vivid colours, over 4 meters excessive.
Thanks to quite a few breeding strategies, scientists managed to acquire small compact crops with numerous colours and shapes of bracts. And whereas till just a few years in the past you possibly can solely beautify your private home with a star of purple bracts, as we speak the assortment is far wider. As a rule, one may say that yearly a brand new selection is launched on the market, so as we speak you will discover varieties with white, yellowish, pink bracts on the market.
By shopping for a high quality plant, with correct care throughout development, it is possible for you to to take pleasure in this Christmas star lengthy after Christmas. The first prerequisite for that is the choice of a wholesome, well-developed plant, with sturdy stems, with out yellowed or fallen leaves. Pay consideration to the small yellow flowers at the high of the plant. It is preferable that only some of them are opened, and that the relaxation are nonetheless in bud.
Avoid procuring at open stands the place crops are uncovered to chilly and drafts, and take them out of closed shops properly wrapped in paper or cellophane.
After bringing her residence, select an acceptable habitat for her. It have to be away from a direct warmth supply, in a vibrant place, however not in direct daylight. It will ideally thrive in a room the place the temperature is between 15 and 20 levels C and the place the air is just not too dry.
In overheated rooms with dry air, only a day or two after bringing it into the home, the plant will begin shedding its leaves. As a primary support, transfer the plant to a cooler room and mist the leaves repeatedly. Always water the poinsettia with room temperature water, in order that the substrate is at all times reasonably moist.
Although it’s best to purchase a brand new plant yearly, true herb lovers can be comfortable to attempt to save the plant for subsequent 12 months.
Try to save lots of the plant for subsequent 12 months
After the plant has flowered and shed its leaves and most of the bracts, lower it again to a top of about 10 centimeters. On the branches you’ll discover quite a few facet buds from which new branches will develop. So that the nectar that drips abundantly from the branches doesn’t “suffocate” them, lower reverse to the sleeping bud.
It is essential to level out that protecting gloves have to be used when pruning a poinsettia. Namely, the white sap that oozes from the broken stem is toxic and may irritate the pores and skin, particularly the extra delicate one.
Place the pruned plant in a reasonably heat, shaded place and cease watering for the subsequent 5-6 weeks. Start watering in spring, and in May transplant the plant right into a recent substrate. After the look of new shoots, improve watering and feed repeatedly.
Poinsettia is a short-day plant, so the fundamental situation for the formation of flowers is to make sure at the least 12 hours of darkness, 10 weeks earlier than flowering, so from the finish of September shade it in the interval from early night to morning. Do this by protecting the plant with a big sufficient cardboard field or black PVC bag.
Don’t be shocked if the plant preserved from final 12 months is barely greater this 12 months. Namely, in industrial cultivation, crops are handled with development retardants to make them uniform in top and extra compact.
