Flower "Christmas tree": tips for care

For the first time, the "Christmas tree" - the flower of poinsettia - got to Europe thanks to the US minister in Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who brought the cuttings of the milkweed of the most beautiful (scientific name) in the United States. From there it spread throughout the world.

Christmas custom

It is often called "Christmas tree" or "Christmas star". This is due to the fact that the flower has a very bright red-green color, which resembles traditional decorations for Christmas. It is on the eve of this day that the plant is bought for its home or presented as a gift.

It is believed that the "Christmas tree" is a house plant that brings prosperity, love and mutual understanding to the house and family. In European countries, poinsettia is decorated with temples, shopping centers, halls for celebrations and banquets, as well as houses and apartments. "Christmas tree" with red-green leaves is considered the main symbol of the holiday in the west.

The breeding of milkweed at home, which took on a large scale, began at the end of the 20th century with the Ecke family from California. It is thanks to these people that the poinsettia has gained wide popularity in various strata of society.

In Aztec times, the "Christmas tree" was used as a medicinal and ceremonial plant.

Outer beauty

The stalk of poinsettia contains sticky white juice, which is a poisonous agent that irritates the mucous eye when it hits.

This shrubby plant is of various colors. Observers recorded more than 100 species. These are yellow, white, pink, red and many other variegated petals, which are not only of different colors but also of different shapes.

How to choose a healthy plant

If you choose from all possible species, preference during the purchase is best given to the most healthy in appearance plant. "Christmas tree" is a flower with a short stalk and green leaves, located closer to the soil. Its petals have a large, slightly elongated and pointed to the end shape. It is undesirable to acquire a plant with wilted or drooping leaves, crooked stems, and also dry soil in a pot.

"Christmas tree": care

At home, the flower grows to half a meter, whereas in the natural environment the shrub reaches a meter in height. Flowering poinsettia to six months, then begins to throw off the petals, gradually losing a bright, beautiful color.

To ensure that the "Christmas tree" (the milkweed flower) has not lost its beautiful petals ahead of time, it requires certain care not only at home, but also during the transportation of the plant.

Poinsettia is very afraid of the cold. That is why after buying the plant it is desirable to wrap the paper and as soon as possible to take it to heat. The air temperature should not be below 15 degrees, otherwise the flowers and stems will wither from the cold.

When buying flowers, it is important to pay attention to where exactly in the store is a pot of plant. In order for it to grow and blossom for a long time, it is better not to buy those specimens that stand near the entrance-exit to the room or are often exposed to airflow of different temperatures.

This should be paid attention at home. You can not put a flower on a cold window or leave it in a draft. The petals should not touch the glass. "Christmas tree" - a house plant, care for which must be serious. The optimal air temperature for it is 20-22 degrees.

Basic rules of care during flowering

To see the beautiful flowering, you must follow the rules for watering the plant. One of them, the most important, is to water the poinsettia with warm water only. This should be done if the land dries completely about 3-4 times a week with a small amount of water.

If you water the flower abundantly, you can cause stagnation of liquid on the bottom of the pot, which will lead to decay of the roots, yellowing and falling of leaves. To avoid rotting, excess water must be drained from the pan, and the bottom of the pot must be provided with drainage (a hole at the bottom and a layer of expanded clay) for additional filtration. In addition, it is necessary to spray the petals up to two times a day, trying to avoid flowering leaves.

"Christmas star" is very fond of bright lights, but it is important to take into account the fact that direct sunlight on the plant leaves can lead to their burn, resulting in wilting.

Flower "Christmas tree": how to care for a plant after flowering

During flowering, it is not recommended to fertilize the soil in a pot with poinsettia. This can lead to premature termination of flowering. After the plant has faded, the fertilizer is bred in water and watered the ground up to twice a month every 2-4 weeks. Pour fertilizer only on the soil, trying to do it slowly and carefully, so that droplets of water do not fall on the stems of the plant. With proper care poinsettia will bloom throughout the winter holidays.

Approximately in 5-6 months you can see the first signs of the end of flowering. At this point, do not be afraid and think that something is done wrong. This is the absolutely normal state of the flower during this period. In order for the plant to gain strength before the new flowering, poinsettia is placed for several months in a dark cool place, in which it should stand resting. During this period, its stems are cut, creating the desired, usually round, shape. Cut off leaves under certain conditions can please the eye for at least 2-3 weeks. For this, before you lower the stems into the water, they cut them off and for a few seconds lower them into boiling water (or hold the ends of the stems above fire for 2-3 seconds). During the rest, watering the tree is only necessary when the ground is dry enough, and the leaves should be sprinkled every other day.

Sometimes the poinsettia is transplanted into another pot, but it is important to consider the following: regardless of the size of the plant, the pot must be prepared only a few centimeters more than the old one, otherwise the roots will rot.

How to ensure the flowering of poinsettia before Christmas

Having provided the necessary light regime, the spurge can be made to blossom already at the end of autumn. For this, several conditions must be observed. Every day the flower should be in the bright light for no more than ten hours, and the rest of the time (14 hours) Poinsettia is kept in the dark. This regime is observed for at least two months. Usually this is November and December. After these actions, he is put in a bright and warm room, where the temperature of the air is not less than 18 degrees, and humidity - up to 50%.

Insects that can kill a plant

There are many insects that damage the plant. Among them are whitefly, spider mite, mealy mullet and mushroom mosquito. "Christmas tree" - a house plant, care for which requires attention.

Whitefly is a small insect with wings of white color. These pests are very similar to a small moth. Most often they are on the inside of the sheet. If the plant is completely surrounded by whiteflies, the consequences can be disastrous for the plant, because getting rid of it is quite difficult. This will require special medications. But if there are only a few specimens of this species on the leaves, you can save the flower quite easily. You just need to wash the plant under running water and treat the leaves with insecticide soap that will prevent the pest from returning. It is important to treat the entire plant without missing a single petal.

As for spider mites, they are also easily removed from the plant with water and disinfecting soap. They appear in the event that the poinsettia is left for a long time in a damp room. They are difficult to notice, but their presence is indicated by characteristic yellow spots on the tips of the leaves.

Some of the most dangerous insects are mealybugs. They are the largest. Form small white clumps, similar to flakes. It is dangerous that almost always they come with ants. You can get rid of them with alcohol and insecticide soap.

The most annoying and deadly insect for poinsettia is the fungal mosquito. Their larvae damage the roots, which as a result begin to decay. They look like tiny pinheads of brown color. They do not live on leaves, but on soil, so they are easy to detect and recognize before irreparable harm was caused. Get rid of mosquitoes through transplant, soil replacement and treatment with insecticide soap.

Gifts for the holidays

A very actual gift for New Year's holidays is the tableware. The Christmas tree on it is depicted as the main symbol of the New Year and the Nativity of Christ.

The drawing is usually an image of fir-tree decorated with pine cones and Christmas trees. Spode's Christmas tree can be found in the design of mugs, candlesticks, beautiful trays with the inscription "Merry Christmas", plates and dishes, jugs, tea and coffee sets, pots, decorative figurines and much more.

A pot of fine poinsettia and elegant tableware will make an ideal gift for a Christmas holiday for families from every corner of the world.