"Christmas Star" - flower poinsettia

"Christmas star" - a flower called puansettia - has recently become one of the plant-symbols, in this case the New Year and Christmas, even in Russia. In this there is nothing surprising: Russians in the midst of winter just need this kind of beauty, and in fact poinsettia is amazingly beautiful! Gradually enters into the tradition of giving it to those who are fond of floriculture and love potted flowers. "Christmas Star" is a plant with a history, its homeland is Central and South America, where it was known to the Aztecs.

By the way, poinsettia has several more names: "The Flower of the Holy Night", "The Star of Bethlehem" and eurphobia. On Christmas Eve she was bound by Catholic priests who discovered that the plant blossoms just in the period falling at the end of December and the beginning of January. Here is such an interesting story about the origin of the name "Christmas Star". The flower is so beautiful that in many European and even Russian houses it has recently decorated a festive table instead of spruce branches. Some of the leaves of poinsettia even weave traditional Christmas wreaths.

So, you got such a wonderful gift, like "Christmas Star" (flower). How to care for him so that next winter, poinsettia gave the hosts and guests an unforgettable festive atmosphere? In fact, caring for her is pretty simple. First, you need to check which soil contains the donated or purchased plant. The fact is that from abroad they are all brought in the so-called transportation ground, in which the plant after a certain period of time just perishes. Therefore, the poinsettium must be urgently transplanted or at least carried out its transshipment.

In fact, "Christmas Star" - a flower of the family of euphorbia. And what we consider to be flowers is bracts, which, incidentally, does not make the plant less beautiful. The most common varieties with red, white, yellow bracts, but there are also two-colored plants.

Poinsettia does not tolerate sharp temperature changes. In winter it should be kept approximately at + 18-20 degrees, right after flowering it is better to rearrange it to a cooler place, but at less than +10 degrees it can die. Approximately in March, the "Christmas Star" begins to fade. At this time, you need to reduce watering to a minimum and provide it with a rest period. Even better - to trim the flower, leaving a stump about 10 centimeters high. In a couple of months, in May-June, the plant will resume growth and release lateral shoots, after which it can be accurately transplanted into a new pot. After transplanting the plant will need a lot of light and heat for rapid growth. Humidity must also be maintained at an acceptable level. Watering during this period should be quite abundant.

The beginning of June is the time to form the milkweed crown, but do not expect that this will happen the first time. First, select the strongest side shoots, and remove the remaining ones. They can be rooted, washed off the milky juice and dried the place of the cut. Since the "Christmas Star" is a flower of the opposite hemisphere, its flowering occurs in the winter, but some preparation is necessary. From September to mid-November, it is necessary to reduce the plant a light day, some growers for this purpose use boxes, opaque bags and other devices. The plant should receive light approximately 7-10 hours a day. You can also simply move the pot into a dark room. Only if these conditions are met, "Christmas Star", "Flower of the Holy Night" or simply poinsettia can please its owners with the beauty of bright colors in the middle of a cold winter.