Poinsettias: ‘Golden rule’ for looking after festive plant this winter – ‘very important!’

Houseplants, including poinsettias need extra care during the winter months, to make sure they do not dry out with the heating. This means making sure they are watered enough and placing them away from direct heat sources.

Stars for Europe experts have shared top tips on looking after the festive plant through the winter months.

They said: “Whilst poinsettias are renowned for making wonderful festive displays, they also have a reputation for being a little tricky to care for, but forewarned is forearmed!

“You wouldn’t expect a thin-skinned prize pooch to brave the wilds of winter without a coat and a similar attitude should be adopted towards your poinsettias, which hate absolutely nothing more than a cold draft.

“The golden rule for poinsettias is don’t let them get too cold.

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Poinsettias love the light, but should be kept out of the way from direct sunlight.

The Stars for Europe experts also recommend keeping them out of shadowy corners.

They said: “A good test is to see what kind of shadow your hand makes when you put it into the spot you have in mind for your poinsettia.

“No shadow means the place is too shaded, a dark black shadow means the sun is too bright, but a soft grey shadow is perfect.”

“You should allow compost to just start drying out before giving your plant light watering, taking care not to soak them

“Overwatering can cause poinsettias to be blighted by grey mould and also makes them vulnerable to attack from common pests like mealybugs and scale insects.

“Poinsettias do like humid conditions, so keep them well misted, especially if there’s a danger of them gasping for moisture in rooms where the central heating is on full blast.

“Just like your Christmas dinner guests, poinsettias also like to be fed, in this case monthly, with a high potassium, low nitrogen fertiliser.”

source: express.co.uk