Poinsettia is a classic Christmas flower with its festal red and white bract . It descend from Mexico and has especial needs that make it a little harder to take aid of like other houseplants . But caring for a poinsettia twelvemonth round has its own reward : new blooms for the next vacation time of year .
In its home land of Mexico and Central America , the poinsettia is a shrub or small tree , not a holiday plant . It grows 10 to 15 foot grandiloquent ( 3 . 0 to 4 . 6 m. ) as a deciduous or semi - evergreen plant on mid - elevation incline along the Pacific Ocean . Its aboriginal home ground is tropical and seasonally wet .
What many citizenry name as the poinsettia flowers , that showy red part , are actually bracts . Bracts are changed leaves that skirt the prime . The painted leaf flower is the little yellowish bloom in the middle . Most poinsettia bracts are reddish , but in polish , you may find white , pink , and blab .
Few plant represent the holidays like the painted leaf . Their bountiful lustrous red or snowy bracts seem to body forth the gay spirit and add a burst of color to seasonal interior decoration . But sadly , many a poinsettia contact an wrong demise shortly after the holidays , wilt and dropping leaves . If your poinsettia plant is look a little lackluster or even near death do n’t give up on it just yet ! With some TLC and troubleshooting , it ’s often potential to repair a conk out poinsettia and wet-nurse it back to health .
Signs Your Poinsettia is Struggling
How can you differentiate if your lobster plant is in distress ? Here are some rough-cut sign :
If your plant exhibits any of these symptoms it likely need some restorative concern . The sooner you step in the sound its chances of bouncing back .
Reasons for a Declining Poinsettia
Before attempting to rehabilitate your works , it helps to understand what element may have bestow to its decline Common causa include
Pinpointing the likely perpetrator will avail take your revival efforts .
Steps to Revive a Dying Poinsettia
With attention and tending , you could entertain even a overleap - look Christmas flower back to health . Here are some steps to take :
Assess and address pest problems
jibe closely for any pests like whitefly , spider mite , or mealybugs that may be weakening the plant . handle with horticultural oils or insecticidal soaps as needed . Isolate if infestation is serious .
Prune off dead leaves and stems
This help allocate the plant ’s resources towards new emergence . Make clean cuts just above leaf nodes or at the pedestal .
Add supportive care
Give the plant a plant life stent or post for support if it ’s become leggy and weak - stemmed .
Check for root rot
If ascendent are brownish , mushy , or easy pulled away , trim off the affected region with a sterile vane and repot into fresh , uninspired soil .
Repot into well-draining soil
Use a sterile , well - enfeeble potting mix . impart perlite or orchid bark to improve drainage .
Find a bright, warm spot
Mexican flameleaf need about 6 hours of collateral sunlight day by day . Keep off from drafty areas , heating vent , and excessive cold .
Maintain even moisture
Water thoroughly only when the top inch of grease is dry . Discard excess water in disc .
Increase humidity
supercharge humidity levels around the industrial plant through misting , pebble trays , or a humidifier .
Apply balanced liquid fertilizer
feast every 2 - 3 weeks consort to label instruction to supply vital nutrients .
Monitor for improvement
Within a few weeks of focused care , you should see raw outgrowth , foliage recuperation , and improved bract color .
emergency care for a Wilting plant
If your Christmas flower is seriously wilted with dry , shrivel leaves , it needs exigency reviving . set out by :
Hopefully within 12 - 24 hour , your Mexican flameleaf will be revive and standing back up again ! Continue caring for it properly to aid its full retrieval .
Special holiday care tips
Display poinsettias for 4 - 6 calendar week maximum for good bract seniority .
Sleeve or wrapper transparency around gage to protect roots if rig outside .
Avoid place near dusty order of payment , heat vents , or excessive heat or chill .
check that plant are not displayed in water . let nimiety to debilitate .
Provide at least 6 hours of bright , indirect light daily .
Water when soil surface is dry ; avoid overwatering .
Move plant to a cool , dark-skinned slur at Nox to encourage bract color .
Caring for Poinsettias Post-Holidays
Assuming your poinsettia endure the holiday after repair effort , you’re able to savor it foresightful term as a houseplant . Here ’s how to like for it year - round :
Prune back stems by one-half in outflow and repot into fresh potting mix if roots are crowd .
Place in a bright windowpane where it will get several hours of lineal sun .
Water whenever the top 1 - 2″ of soil becomes dry .
course monthly with a balanced swimming fertiliser during spring and summertime .
assert temperatures above 55 ° F .
Move outside in summertime in shade if desired . Bring back indoors before temps drop below 50 ° F .
Prune back to 6 - 8″ in September to advance new thick growth .
Beginning mid - October , give it 14 hours dark and 10 hours light daily to pioneer flowering .
Protect from frigid and drafts , provide bright light and even moisture as bracts color up .
With conscientious care , your poinsettia can thrive for months or years as an attractive houseplant , reward you with that festive holiday coloration again and again when winter roll around .
Troubleshooting Issues with Reviving Poinsettias
Even if you follow all the commend revival tips , your poinsettia may still struggle . Here are some fixes for common problem :
Yellow leaves – Usually bespeak overwatering . permit soil to dry out more between waterings .
wilt – Can bespeak under or overwatering . condition dirt wet and adjust watering accordingly .
leafage drop cloth – Natural after bracts fade . But can also mean too lilliputian water , light , or humidness .
Leggy increase – ask more sunlight . swipe back tip to encourage fullness .
Poor flowering – May ask the 14/10 lightsome / dark treatment to originate bud .
Root decline – Repot into fresh soil , crop off any mushy roots , and piddle less oftentimes .
salinity buildup – wealthy soil every few months and use distilled or rain H2O .
pestilence – Isolate industrial plant , prune dissemble part . Spot treat with insecticidal max or neem rock oil .
FAQ About Reviving Poinsettias
Here are resolution to some frequently asked questions :
How do I revive a dead poinsettia?
Assess the damage , address any disease or pest issue , prune off dead parts , repot into wise soil , ply ideal lighting and humidity , maintain even moisture , and feed to advance new ontogenesis .
What makes poinsettia leaves fall off?
Overwatering , underwatering , nerveless temps , dry air , or pests can cause folio drop . Improve conditions and prune off any dead folio .
How can I make my poinsettia re-bloom next year?
Give it 14 hours darkness/10 hours sunshine day by day from mid - October to mid - December to initiate anthesis . Protect from iciness and provide bright , collateral light as bract color up .
Why is my poinsettia drooping and wilting?
This can be from over or underwatering , down in the mouth light , cold draft or estrus stress . agree ground wet , adjust lachrymation , and meliorate grow condition .
Can you revive a poinsettia in water?
Severely wilted plants may be renovate by endure stems in water for 12 - 24 hours until revived . Then repot into stain , furnish care , and monitor recuperation .
Is Epsom salt good for poinsettias?
now and again water with Epsom Strategic Arms Limitation Talks can provide magnesium , improve bract coloring material , and serve revive an indisposed works .
Do n’t give up too promptly on a sad look poinsettia around the holidays ! With attentive tutelage tailored to its penury , you could often suckle it back to full health and enjoy its colorful display again next holiday time of year .
Do Poinsettias Come Back Every Year?
Like other tropical plant , poinsettias are most often grown as annuals . Most multitude bribe them to ornament their home for the holidays and then throw them by in January or when they start up to lose their shine .
Of naturally , in their aboriginal range , poinsettias grow year - bout like other plant . We can keep yours live all saltation , summertime , and fall if you take skilful care of it . By Christmas next twelvemonth , you ’ll have impudent raw bracts .
How to Care for Poinsettias Year Round
To take care of a poinsettia all yr , start by allow the ripe term :
Overwatering and pooled water are very damaging to Mexican flameleaf . If you bought a plant during the holiday , the skunk probably has a vacation - theme plastic or enhancer wrapper on it . Remove this to annul standing water and put the pot on a tray instead .
