Traditionally, before Christmas and New Year holidays in specialised flower shops and supermarkets start selling original and incredibly beautiful indoor plants - poinsettia with red leaves, or ‘Christmas star’.

What is the peculiarity of poinsettia

The indoor poinsettia starts flowering before Christmas, throwing out small yellowish inflorescences in the form of a rosette. Around them are bright red bracts, which many people mistake for the flowers themselves.

The molochai Christmas tree has the following life cycles:

• a dormant period;
• growth period;
• winter flowering.

The optimum temperature during growth is 18-25°C, 12-14°C during dormancy and 14-16°C during flowering. It is better to place it on the eastern or western side, as direct sunlight is harmful to it, and poinsettias do not like draughts.

Before buying, you should carefully inspect the plant so that there is no damage, because during transport it can freeze, and there are also damages to the root system.

How to provide poinsettias with the right care

Lighting plays a very important role for poinsettias - with its lack, it can drop its beautiful decorative leaves. Therefore, it is worth considering additional illumination during the dark hours of the day.

The soil should be loosened periodically so that the roots get enough oxygen, and water as needed, it does not like stagnant water. Adaptation after purchase lasts about three weeks. Then the plant should be transplanted into universal soil and add a little sand and vermiculite. In this way, you can achieve the beauty of the ‘Christmas star’ for up to four weeks.

Recommendations so that the poinsettia will survive more than one Christmas:

• When the leaves fall off, stop fertilising, reduce watering and cut back the stems, leaving 15 cm from the ground.
• Place the Christmas tree in a darkened, cool place until May.
• To ‘wake up’ the flower, in May move it to a place with good light, water it and fertilise it with mineral fertiliser.
• After the beginning of growth, the flower should be transplanted into a new vase.
• At the beginning of October, in order to stimulate the laying of the bracts, you should place the molochai daily overnight, at least for 14 hours, in a box or in a cupboard where there will be no access to light.

‘Christmas Star’ - a wonderful flower, which has a wonderful energy and is able to improve the mood of all the household, give peace in the house and mutual understanding.