How to cultivate Christmas flower poinsettia
About the cultivation of Christmas flower poinsettia and the precautions for growing poinsettia, the following is a detailed explanation by the editor.
Poinsettia is also known as the Christmas flower, because its bright red color is very good at setting off the Christmas atmosphere, hence the name. Poinsettia is a particularly beautiful and festive flowering plant that many people want to grow. Let's learn about the cultivation methods and precautions for poinsettia.
1. Nutrition*
Poinsettia prefers loose and well-drained soil. You can use 3 parts of vegetable garden soil, 3 parts of humus, 3 parts of decomposed leaf mold, and 1 part of decomposed cake fertilizer, mixed with a small amount of炉渣.
2. Watering
Spring and autumn are the peak growing periods of poinsettia. During these two stages, the pot should not be too dry and water deficient, and it is best to keep it slightly moist but not waterlogged. In the hot summer, as water evaporates quickly, watering should be done when the soil feels dry to the touch, and it should not be watered too frequently. If the pot is too moist, the plant may develop root rot and yellow leaves. If yellow leaves appear, move the pot to a well-ventilated area, frequently loosen the soil, and increase soil permeability to prevent root rot.
3. Fertilization
Poinsettia likes fertilizer. In the absence of nutrients, the plant will become weak and the growth of branches and leaves will decrease. Therefore, during the growing period, it should be fertilized regularly to supplement nutrients. You can apply a thin fertilizer once or twice a month, such as a small amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compound fertilizer in the pot, which can promote vigorous growth of the plant. In autumn, to encourage earlier flowering, you can supplement more phosphorus and potassium, such as using a 1:1000 solution of potassium dihydrogen phosphate to spray on the leaves, which can promote the plant to differentiate flower buds and bloom.
4. Pruning and Pinching
In the spring, when poinsettia is growing vigorously, pinch the tips to encourage more branching and increase the number of flowers. Regular pruning and shaping should also be done to remove withered and diseased branches, increasing ventilation and light penetration between the plants. After autumn, avoid pruning excessively, and wait until the end of the flowering period to prune the remaining flowers and supplement nutrients.
5. Temperature and Light
Poinsettia prefers warmth and dislikes cold. Therefore, it can be moved indoors in the last decade of September each year, and it is also necessary to ensure good ventilation. Poinsettia is a plant that likes sunlight and has a strong phototropism, so it should receive sufficient sunlight throughout the year. To advance or delay flowering, you can control the amount of light, generally providing 8 to 9 hours of sunlight a day, which can result in flowering within 40 days.
6. Pest and Disease Control
Poinsettia is commonly affected by whiteflies, which can be controlled by spraying or watering with insecticides. Using the phototropism of whiteflies, you can place yellow sticky traps coated with oil in the greenhouse to trap and kill them. It is also important to note that whiteflies usually absorb sap from the underside of young leaves, and light-colored leaves are more likely to attract whitefly damage.
Some people believe that poinsettia is toxic, as the white sap in its stems and leaves can irritate the skin, causing redness and swelling, and may cause allergic reactions. If the stems and leaves are ingested by mistake, it can lead to vomiting, abdominal pain, and even the risk of death from poisoning. However, it has been proven that poinsettia is non-toxic, so everyone can purchase it without concern.
The above is a detailed introduction on how to cultivate the Christmas flower poinsettia and the precautions for growing poinsettia, hoping you will like it!