The poinsettia is the plant that we see the most at Christmas, the one that sells the most and therefore the one that accompanies us the most during these very important dates. However, its cultivation is not very easy, because he comes from a greenhouse where he was pampered a lot, and the passage from this place to our house is important. The temperatures, light and care he begins to receive may be very different from what he had then. Therefore, one of the most common reactions it has is to drop a few leaves.
Watering is one of the most necessary tasks, but if it’s not done well, instead of losing a few leaves, you could end up without any. So let’s explain how often to water the poinsettia to prevent this from happening.
How many times a week should you water the poinsettia?
This is a question we would all like to see answered, but unfortunately I would be wrong if I told you an exact number, for the following reason: the conditions in which you have your plant can be very different from those in which I have it. The location, the weather,… everything can be very different.
But what I’m going to tell you is that indoors, and during the winter, the frequency of watering must be lower than during the summer. And it is that the earth to stay humid longer should not be watered so much as during the hottest days of the year. In addition, you must take into account that the most superficial layer of the earth dries out much earlier than the lower layers, since it is more exposed to air, etc. For him, to avoid problems, the ideal is to take a stick and push it to the bottom.
If as soon as you take it out you see that it is practically clean and dry, it means that you need to water, because the soil will be completely dry. In the event that it is not and you see that it is damp, even with clinging soil, do not water it.
And if you still need numbers, tell yourself that, in general, during the winter, it should be watered once a week or less, and the rest of the year 2 to 4 times. Everything will depend on the climatic conditions, because the higher the temperatures, for example, the more the poinsettia will have to be watered.
Can you go weeks without getting a drop of water?
I would like to tell you about it because you can think that a plant that is not watered for weeks is almost as if you want to, I don’t know, make it suffer. And the truth is that This is something that will need to be done if the conditions we have it in cause the earth to stay wet all that time.
Do you know how often I water my houseplants during the winter? Very little. Sometimes 3-4 weeks passed because the earth, in its lower layers, was still very humid. And although it’s hard to believe, the plants didn’t show any symptoms of lack of watering. Because?
Because the humidity inside and outside my house is very highSo much so that I have an -indoor- philodendron that if you touch the leaves in the morning you will find yourself with wet fingers. It is this humidity that causes the aerial part (leaves, stems, etc.; that is, the part visible to the naked eye) of each of the plants, also of the poinsettia, to remain hydrated.
For this reason, if in the area where you have it the air humidity is also very high, and/or if you have it outside and it rains frequently, you will not have to water it as much. But I insist, if in doubt, check the humidity of the earth with the stick.
Should the soil be allowed to dry completely before watering the poinsettia again?
Not at all, i.e. you don’t have to wait for the soil to dry out so much that it separates from the pot; but it must be sufficiently dry so that, when you take the said pot, you realize that it weighs little. And it should be borne in mind that it is much easier to recover a plant that dries up than one that, on the contrary, drowns, since the solution is simply to water it. The improvement is soon seen.
So don’t worry if the soil stays dry for a few days.
What type of water is best for watering it?
The most suitable is the rainyBut of course, not all of us can get it. In such cases, can be washed down with bottled wateror even with the tap as long as it can be used for, at least, cooking.
I do not recommend watering with distilled water or with air conditioningsince it lacks nutrients, and with it one would only wet the earth (I mean, the plant could not completely quench its thirst).
For more information on caring for the poinsettia at Christmas (and therefore during the winter), I invite you to read this article:
Related article:
Poinsettia: how to survive Christmas