Flowers
The Perfect Poinsettia
Apr
It’s getting to that time of the year again where all of the Christmas festivities are popping up. We’re all finding ourselves buying and decorating our homes, ourselves and others with reds, greens and golds because who doesn’t love the traditional Christmas colours.
Poinsettias are the perfect ornamental piece to dress a room. Some would say that a Poinsettia plant could have been specially designed for Christmas, this is because of the beautiful red halo that they carry along with festive green foliage. It’s certainly one of those plants that we see in nearly everyone windows, every shop shelf and any Christmas themed area. It’s a must-have, and no wonder! One of the secrets to the popularity of Poinsettias is that they last for such a long time, this is because of the statement red halo consisting of long-lasting leaves instead of the usual soft, delicate petals that flowers are made up of.
Some advantages for Poinsettias –
- They can look amazing for up to twelve weeks if neutered for properly.
- The plant has the ability to grow and spread in warmer climates, this is why they have been seen colonising in different areas all over the world.
Some facts about the plant –
- This plant has been used as Christmas ornaments for almost a hundred years.
- Poinsettias originate in Mexico and were discovered by Joel Poinsett and of course got the name from him.
- It takes approximately 8 weeks for a red Poinsettia to turn from green to red
- 80% of Poinsettias are Red. The others are pink, white and red.
How to look after your Poinsettia
Some say that it is difficult to maintain a healthy, long-lasting and vibrant Poinsettia. We say different, just make sure you follow these few simple steps and you’ll achieve the best results.
- Try to avoid placing your plant in temperatures below 13c (55f), this is because Poinsettias originate from warmer climates than what we have in Britain – They won’t appreciate our unpredictable weather.
- When initially purchasing your Poinsettia, try and get it home to the warm as soon as possible. These plants don’t like sitting in the cold for too long and you could see them beginning to wilt. We suggest that they are the last purchase of your day.
- Try your best to maintain a constant warm temperature, try not to move them about too much.
- Keep the plant in good daylight, away from direct sunlight and draughts.
- Feed your Poinsettia once a week, it’s best to give them a good drink once you can see the surface of the compost drying. If you over water, your plant will very quickly wither. It is advised that you feed it with houseplant fertiliser.
- If you have one about, it’s best to place the pot that the plan is in on a pebble tray, this is because the humid atmosphere can help with prolonging the life of the plant.
Did you know that there is a method that can bring your Poinsettia back to life if it starts to show signs of wilting? Most of us just chuck dying or dead plants in the bin and start fresh, well maybe next time try and rescue it before giving up. Try soaking the root ball with a steady stream of warm water, this has been known to bring back to life a Poinsettia within an hour!
If you need to buy Christmas Flowers visit our Shop in Northampton or our Online Shop.
