First Aid for my Poinsettia

Well I've done it again!! My sister bought me a lovely and in full bloom, Poinsettia. I read about them and the advice is don't keep it in too warm a place, too cold, too dry, too wet.

Umm so why have all my leaves fallen off and some of the petals? It now resembles a plant with a short back and sides. Honestly, I don't know how I do it, I even managed to kill a cactus once and they take some killing.

Any advise, ok ok I know buy a plastic one next year! Please don't shout at me I don't mean to murder my plants.

Re: First Aid for my Poinsettia

Kath don't feel bad about it, I am sure Pointsettias come with a built in obsolescence, also they are raised in controlled conditions that we mere mortals can't hope to compete with .

They never last long with me and my other plants last for years.

Re: First Aid for my Poinsettia

Thanks Meg, was getting paranoid their for a minute.
I am useless at gardening, but I do try sometimes I just throw a few bedding plants in a pot and ignore it and voila! They come up smashing, then other times like my attempt at a climbing honeysuckle it drooped and looked pitiful they die, but I have not give up on it, you will grow back I insist - even just to prove to my neighbour (won't go their I get stressed)! That I can grow plants so their. lol

Kath xx

Re: First Aid for my Poinsettia

I love Pointsettias at Christmastime, Kath ........ mine are usually still going strong in April! I am very reluctant to discard them but somehow they don't have the same appeal months after the Big Day.

Firstly, never buy a poinsettia that has been stood outdoors on the pavement of a shop. Going from a cold environment to a central heated room will result in leaf fall. I place mine close to the window but not in direct sunlight and I only water it when there is sign of the leaves beginning to droop. Don't over water .... I water mine about once a fortnight. Keep it away from radiators too. Hopefully your poinsettia should then last you for weeks

Re: First Aid for my Poinsettia

Bought one fromM&S (bound to be good from there she says, huh) well it lasted all of three days and then died. Not going there again, no more for me, serves me right, oh the minute Christmas tree is still going by the way!.

Re: First Aid for my Poinsettia

Hello Megs, Annie,

I only have to look at a plant and it dies, I have to go round garden centres blindfolded! lol

Umm revenge I will nip into M & S for you Annie and stare at their plants for you. lol

regards
Kath x

Re: First Aid for my Poinsettia

It appears that poinsettias need very little watering and when you do water them don't put it directly into the pot with luke warm water.
The other thing as Mags says give your plant plenty of light but not direct sunlight.
The other thing is that the plant has been pushed from pillar to post on it's journey to the store so a certain amount of damage will lead to falling leaves. I found that a whole stem had been broken and one I had removed it the whole lant looked more cheerful.

Kath, don't consider yourself a enemy of plants I have had several rubber plants die in my keeping and I am sure twas I what dun it.

I also note that you live in Preston just up the road a bit from me and the winds have been awful and all that rain won't help even a good gardener round these parts to show a green thumb.

Re: First Aid for my Poinsettia

Here's my poinsettia, I bought it just over three weeks ago....

Re: First Aid for my Poinsettia

I had a poinsettia at my last house that I had for 4 years. It just didnt die off so I kept it. It never grew its red leaves back, stayed green but it grew really big and bushy and was lovely, it actually died when we had that really bad cold spell in the end. I did read up how to get the red leaves back but it involved covering up the leaves for 12 hours a day with black bags, too much effort but it was lovely and I was sad when it died.

Just before christmas I bought one of those little trees with little oranges on, cant remember what they are called, it lasted a week then died so when the poinsettias came out, much as I was tempted I didnt bother.

My other house had a very large airy kitchen which was ideal for plants, this one is not so good.

Re: First Aid for my Poinsettia

Thanks for your advice. I used to live in Eskdale many years ago and I have friends in Workington who we visited a couple of months back. I love Cumbria and the people and the accent we went up to see Hairy Bikers in Ulverston. Nice little town but most of Cumbria is nice. I used to travel on lile ratty' to Ravenglass which was brill