fbpx

Care Tips: Poinsettias

Poinsettias are the most popular plant around the Christmas holidays (besides the tree of course!) and the odds of either giving or receiving one are pretty high.

Learning the proper care of these plants will ensure that you can enjoy these tropicals around the holidays and upcoming winter months.

Selection

The most important part of picking out a poinsettia is selecting a healthy, vigorous plant. Inspect the top and undersides of the leaves for any insects.
The most common pest you are likely to find are whiteflies. These tiny flies pierce the leaves and suck sap from the poinsettia and abundant populations can affect the health of your plant. Sticky residue left by these sap suckers can lead to bigger problems such as powdery or black mildew. Don’t bring a pest home that will spread to your other house plants.

Also be sure to inspect all the branching throughout the plant to make sure there are no broken ones.

Journey Home

These plants are very sensitive to extreme temperatures. Be sure to get your plant wrapped before going into the cold. If exposed, poinsettias will react by dropping leaves.

Care

The two most important care tips to know with these plants are proper watering and temperature:

  • bright indirect light, consistent temperature around 20⁰C
  • keep out of hot or cold drafts
  • allow pot to drain after each watering, doesn’t like to sit in excess water
  • be sure to let the soil dry out between each time you water
  • keep out of reach of small children and or pets

On behalf of everyone at Gelderman Landscape Services, have a Merry Christmas and happy New Year!

Andrea

Post contributed by Andrea Weddum, Landscape Designer

For any questions or comments please comment on our
Facebook page.