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Monday, November 24, 2008

How To Live Happy With Poinsettia Pulcherrima

Декабрь. Встреча двух времен: лета (роза) и зимы (понсеттия)
«Декабрь. Встреча двух времен: лета (роза) и зимы (понсеттия)» на Яндекс.Фотках

Many of us like to have beautiful flowers and plants in our house in winter too. And there is an other addiction: to have plants out of the season. We buy the incredibly beautiful plant in the shop, we like it, we love it, we do everything we can to maintain it alive -nothing to do. The plant dies. Or at least becomes completely different. With little flowers, bad looking etc.

We become very unhappy. We think we are ignorant in gardening. We retry and retry and retry every year ...with the same result.

WHAT happens??????? WHAT do I not right???????

Nothing, my dear. You simply do not know some base things about gardening for the shops.

First.
All the plants out of the season are coltivated with special technique (I did not find the therm in english). I could describe you this technique, but it is not interesting for us. What is important for us is that these plants are destined to die. If your plant survived and continue to grow (in it's normal, natural look) -you can hang a medal on your breast.

Second.
All the plants in the shop (seasonal too) were coltivated with special treatments that are hardly available in the common commerce. That is why you buy a petunia with the flower 20 cm large and it beginns to produce flowers maximum-maximum 5 cm large after some days-one week. Nothing to do. It is the normal plant in its normal natural look. You are not able to change the nature -and it is better if you don't do it. For the plant. It will live longer.

The only thing you can do -to buy a good fertilizer. Not that with beautiful flowers on the box, but that with good "ingredients". You read ingredients when you buy food for you? You have to do it. And the same you have to do for the fertilizer too. A "normal" fertilizer is not good for plants. I'll write about it an other time if you are interested.

So, we turn back to our Poinsettia Pulcherrima (Euphorbia Pulcherrima). What it needs?
1/ very light place without direct sun.
2/ No heaters nearby.
3/ Water every day -not much, only to have the earth wet.
4/ Never water in saucer(placed under flowerpot).
5/ once a week very light liquid fertilizer(for azalea, geranium).
6/ optimal temperature 14-18°C (doesn't like heat)

Once the period of the flowering is finished, Euphorbia remains without leaves. It needs relax: not very warm and not light place, min water. 10 days (till 3-4 weeks) later cut the branches drastically (not completely, you can leave till 20 cm). After that the plant beginns it's new life (without beautiful stars -the right conditions are difficult to create in home).

The other error I've seen on one photo today. Too little vase. I never believe if somebody says me a plant does not need a normal vase. Well, there are plants that have little roots, but normally the roots have to be bigger as the upper part of the plant. If you plant a little cactus in a bigger vase you will have great difference after some months, believe me. I make this example because normally you will hear in the shop that cactuses don't need a big vase -it's lie. Normally cactuses have enormous roots.

Finally, I wanted to give you a little tip. If you want to have great joy every year (and every year bigger and bigger), buy Schlumbergera Truncata (Rhipsalidopsis). There are different colors and forms of flowers today. This plant is a real miracle. And if it is in the right place and has right cures, it will grow enormously and flower from autumn till spring every year and without stop. Really great gift. To yourself and to anybody who loves plants.
Кактусы лесные
«Кактусы лесные» на Яндекс.Фотках
Цветочек
«Цветочек» на Яндекс.Фотках

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