Poinsettias are considered difficult to care for, and not without good reason. The plants often die after a short time. This is usually due to care errors or an incorrect location. What you can do to save a poinsettia.
How do I save a poinsettia?
To save a poinsettia, you should take the following steps depending on the cause: 1. Plant the potted poinsettia in fresh soil.2. Cut off dried shoots and water the plant carefully. 3. If waterlogged, let it dry for a few days and pour off excess water.
Saving a freshly bought poinsettia
Poinsettias from the supermarket are usually of poorer quality. Before they are bought, they are kept far too moist, are too cool or too drafty. These plants cannot always be saved. It's better to rely on quality and buy your poinsettia from the nursery.
If the poinsettia, which initially appears he althy, shows limp shoot tips or the leaves turn yellow, you can save the plant. To do this you should:
- Unpotting the poinsettia
- Rinse the soil
- Fill pot with fresh soil for poinsettias
- Replanting the poinsettia
The soil must be loose and water-retaining. Make your own substrate from peat (€15.00 on Amazon), soil, volcanic rock or other components.
Treating dried-out poinsettias
It is rare for the poinsettia to dry out. Dry heating air or excessive sunlight are usually responsible for this.
Cut off dried shoots. Immerse the pot with the poinsettia in water that is not too cold for a short time until the substrate is saturated again.
Increase the humidity by placing water bowls and provide a little more shade in direct sunlight.
If the poinsettia is too wet
The most common problem that occurs with poinsettias is excessive and heavy watering. Poinsettias prefer it dry to moist and cannot tolerate waterlogging.
If the plant is too wet, let it dry out for a few days to save it. Use pots with a large drainage hole so that the roots are not directly in the water. This causes root rot.
Water poinsettias moderately only when the substrate has dried on top. Immediately pour off any excess water from the planter.
Tip
Contrary to what many flower lovers believe, poinsettias are not annual plants, but rather perennial plants. With a little trick you can get them to bloom every year. They only need to be kept dark for a few weeks.
