How to water Poinsettia ?
A frequent cause of wilting or yellowing of poinsettia leaves is improper watering of the Poinsettia. See how to water Poinsettia so that it blooms for a long time and delights with beautiful leaves!
How to water Poinsettia – frequency ?
Poinsettia should always have moist soil, but not too wet at the same time (excess water must never remain in the saucer under the pot). Both too frequent and too infrequent watering of Poinsettia is harmful.
If the soil is too wet, the roots of the poinsettia quickly rot and the plant is attacked by disease-causing pathogens. On the other hand, when the soil dries out too much, the leaves will lose their firmness and become droopy.
Poinsettia cultivation, care, wintering
Even if we water Poinsettia immediately after noticing such symptoms, the leaves will regain their firmness, but the lowest ones will turn yellow and fall off over time.
The frequency of watering Poinsettia depends on the conditions in the room where the plant is grown. In heated apartments, the earth in a pot can dry out very quickly, even in a day. Therefore, it is best to check with your finger every day whether the top layer of soil has dried up.
If it is dry to a depth of 2 cm, the plant should be watered. An additional indicator may be the weight of the pot with the plant. If it feels light, the soil is dry. Wet is always heavier.
In practice, Poinsettia should be watered at intervals of 2-7 days. There is no hard rule here. Always check that the soil does not dry out. Also, remember that when the plant blooms and goes dormant, you need to limit watering and let the soil dry out (this applies to plants that you want to store until next year).
How to water Poinsettia?
Before you start watering your Poinsettia, make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom of the pot to allow excess water to drain out. Otherwise, water will remain at the bottom of the pot, causing the roots to rot.
Water can be poured onto the top layer of soil (from the top of the pot) until it starts to flow out of the pot from the bottom. This ensures that the soil is sufficiently moistened. Excess water collecting in the saucer under the pot should be poured out. Never allow Poinsettia to stand in water for a long time, because then its roots will quickly rot and the whole plant will die.
It is also a good idea to place the Poinsettia pot in a larger container of water (the pot should be at least half submerged) and wait until all the soil is well soaked, which should take 10-20 minutes. After removing the pot from the water, let the excess water run out and then put the plant back in its place.
What water for Poinsettia ?
For watering Poinsettia, you can use ordinary tap water. It is best, however, that it is settled water, necessarily with a temperature equal to the temperature in the room where the Poinsettia is grown.
Worth knowing! During the flowering period of Poinsettia, once every two weeks in the water for watering, it is worth dissolving a dose of fertilizer for flowering plants. Thanks to the use of fertilizer, the plant will grow healthily and bloom more luxuriantly.
However, do not rush to fertilize the newly purchased plants, as they are usually planted in a sufficiently fertile substrate. If the Poinsettia was bought before Christmas, start watering with diluted liquid fertilizer no earlier than in January.
