Poinsettia: how to survive Christmas

Survive the Christmas It is already a challenge for our pockets, for our diet, for our digestions, our sleep, patience, hangovers, emotions ... And it would continue. But it is that all that is nothing compared to the authentic adventure that the Poinsettia, that plant with red leaves that has become one of the botanical symbols of Christmas and that, generally, does not manage to survive it.

But it is because we do not know it, even if we invite it to our homes for Christmas year after year, like nougat. Do you want a Long-lasting poinsettia? Know which one offers you the best guarantee of survival? Would you like to know the Christmas Plant care? It is enough to get a little closer to her and her needs. Remember that It is not just another ornament, it is a living being, which can become a great plant if we let it grow, stay home after Christmas and be able to say: hey, my plant with red leaves survived Christmas.

How is it?

Let's start at the beginning: it's called Poisentia, poinsettia or poinsettia, and its scientific name is Euphorbia pulcherrima. It is originally from Mexico. Its red leaves, which can be white, yellow or salmon, are not really leaves, but bracts, which are those leaves whose mission is not photosynthesis, but rather to protect the flowers (such as those of bougainvillea). And the true flowers are small and yellow, which are the ones that emerge from the center.

It can grow into a shrub of up to Meters 5, but in a pot it stays lower. Now, if as it grows it is planted in an increasingly larger container, it can reach 3 or even 4 meters. And you have to know that is deciduous; that is, it loses its leaves in winter.

The problem with poisentias is that, although they can be grown indoors, their most suitable habitat would be outdoors, as they first need a lot of light when it's in bloom and a stable climate, without frost, without high temperatures or heating.

Poinsettia care guide

But we can also get him to survive at home, attending to some of your requirements:

When you buy it

• Does not like temperature changesSo if you are going to have it indoors, better not buy it in a store or stall where it is displayed on the street or outside, but in a place where they already have it indoors. The same in reverse, if you are going to have it outside, that it is not exposed in a warmer place.
• It is convenient to protect it in the store with a plastic so that it is not affected by the lowest temperature on the way to your house. Yes, it is delicate, but it is about ensuring its survival and these initial temperature changes may be enough to prevent it.
• When buying it, look at the little flowers yellow: that there are not many already open. The more there are, the shorter the life span of their bracts.
• Inspect your stems and leaves. That there are no broken or rotten stems or spots on the leaves.
• Inspect its base. Move your trunk: it must be firm, not loose in the substrate, otherwise it will be a plant that has not yet rooted well; or worse, that it is still a rootless cutting.

At home

• Needs natural light. The darkness makes the leaves fall off. Do not expose it to direct sun either.
• Keep her away from air currents. They could cause your leaves to fall off prematurely.
• Both cold and high temperatures cause the leaves to fall. Its ideal temperature is 22ºC during the day and 16ºC at night.. It is not advisable for it to rise above 35ºC or below 10ºC, although if it is very sheltered it could withstand occasional frosts of up to -1ºC or -2ºC once it is acclimatized.
• He hates the heating to death. If you are going to have the heating on (because it is Christmas and it is cold), keep it from the warmest point, that does not give it direct heat and that the temperature of the room does not exceed 25º.
• You need a high humidity. If the environment is dry, the leaves fall. If the heating is constant and / or high, you can spray the leaves (but only in that case, otherwise you run the risk of becoming infected with fungi), only the green leaves, not the bracts. If you spray the leaves red, they will stain and lose that pretty Christmas look.
• We do not recommend putting a plate or bowl at the base of the pot, with water and some stones, because you have to control the irrigation very well so as not to add more water than necessary. Too much water will rot the roots. It is best to place containers filled with this precious liquid around it.

When and how to water the poinsettia?

Poinsettia is very sensitive to excess water, so you have to let the substrate dry a little before watering it again, otherwise the root can rot. So that no problems arise, below we explain when and how to add water to our plant:

Water when the ground is dry

Related article:

How to water the poinsettia?

Water is an essential element for life, but it is important to prevent the earth from remaining wet for too long. Thus, the best thing is that we use a humidity meter like this, since this is a tool that will be very useful to know how wet or dry it is. With this information, we can know if we water or not.

And, yes, we can say "water once a week", but in your case it may not be necessary to water as much. For example, in winter I water my indoor plants once every two weeks, because the ambient humidity even indoors is very high (70-90%), and also since the sun does not shine on them directly and the temperatures are lower than in summer (around 15ºC maximum and 10ºC minimum) the earth remains humid for a longer time.

Pour the water on the ground, without wetting the plant

This is important, because if it is not done there is a risk of it rotting. In addition, we must add water until the substrate is very wet. To avoid staining the soil, we can put a plate or bowl under it, but after watering we have to drain it so that no problems arise.

We will use warm water, that is to say, neither too cold nor too hot. Ideally, it should be around 30ºC more or less, since if the temperature is lower it could cool the roots, and if it is higher it could burn them.

Well that's all for now. It is delicate, but it is really worth taking care of. Let's keep in mind that you are trying to survive in a harsh environment. It is enough to help her a little to keep her alive throughout the year. The bracts only come out in December, so with a little care, at Christmas it will bloom again, this time bigger and more ours. Then you can transplant it as we tell you in this video:

And like this year, you sure get your survival. Therefore, we invite you to read this article on how to care for Poisentia after Christmas is over.