The poinsettia is the plant that is most seen during Christmas, the one that sells the most and, therefore, the one that most accompanies us during these very important dates. However, its cultivation is not very easy, since it comes from a greenhouse where it has been pampered a lot, and the change from that place to our house is important. The temperatures, the light, and the care that it begins to receive can be very different from what it had then. Therefore, one of the most common reactions it has is to drop some leaves.
Watering is one of the most necessary tasks, but if not done right, instead of losing just a few leaves you could end up with none. So let's explain how often do you have to water the poinsettia to prevent that from happening.
How many times a week do you have to water the poinsettia?
This is a question that we would all like to see answered, but unfortunately I would make a mistake if I told you an exact number, for the following reason: the conditions in which you have your plant can be very different from those where I have it. The location, the weather,... everything can be very different.
However what I will tell you is that indoors, and during the winter the frequency of watering has to be lower than during the summer. And it is that the earth to remain humid for a longer time should not be watered as much as during the warmest days of the year. In addition, you must take into account that the most superficial layer of the earth dries out much earlier than the lower ones, since it is more exposed to air and so on. Thus, to avoid problems, the ideal is to take a stick and insert it to the bottom.
If as soon as you take it out you see that it is practically clean and dry, then that means that you have to water, since the soil will be completely dry. In the event that this is not the case and you see that it is humid, even with adhered soil, do not water.
And if you still need numbers, tell you that, in general, during the winter it should be watered once a week or less, and the rest of the year 2 to 4 times. Everything will depend on the weather conditions, because the higher the temperatures, for example, the more the poinsettia will have to be watered.
Can you go weeks without receiving a drop of water?
I would like to talk to you about this because we can think that a plant that is not watered for weeks is almost as if we wanted to, I don't know, make it suffer. And the truth is that This is something that will have to be done if the conditions in which we have it cause the earth to remain humid during all that time.
Do you know how many times I water my indoor plants during the winter? Very few. Sometimes 3-4 weeks have passed because the earth, in its lower layers, was still very wet. And although it is hard to believe, the plants did not show any symptoms of lack of watering. Why?
Because the humidity of the air inside and outside my house is very highSo much so that I have a philodendron -indoors- that if you touch the leaves in the morning you will end up with wet fingers. It is this humidity that makes the aerial part (leaves, stems, etc.; that is, the part that can be seen with the naked eye) of each of the plants, also of the poinsettia, stay hydrated.
For this reason, if in the area where you have it the humidity of the air is also very high, and/or if you have it outside and it rains frequently, you will not have to water it as much. But I insist, in case of doubt, check the humidity of the earth with the stick.
Should the soil be allowed to dry out completely before watering the poinsettia again?
Not at all, that is, you don't have to wait for the soil to dry out so much that it separates from the pot; but it must be dry enough so that, when you pick up said pot, you notice that it weighs little. And it is necessary to keep in mind that it is much easier to recover a plant that is drying up than another that, on the contrary, is drowning, since the solution is simply to water it. The improvement is seen soon.
So don't worry if the soil stays dry for a few days.
What kind of water is best to irrigate it?
The most suitable is the rainy oneBut of course, not all of us can get it. In those cases, can be watered with bottled water, or even with the tap as long as it can be used for, at least, cooking.
I do not recommend watering with distilled water or with air conditioning, since it lacks nutrients, and with it we would only wet the earth (I mean, the plant could not completely quench its thirst).
For more information on the care of the poinsettia at Christmas (and therefore during the winter), I invite you to read this article:
