4 Landscape Maintenance Tips for Taking Care of a Poinsettia Plant
The hot topic in landscape maintenance with the holiday season upon us is poinsettia plant care. Poinsettia plants produce bright red modified leaves known as bracts that makes them a popular plant for Christmas ornamentation. As part of our mission to provide the best landscape maintenance information possible to our clients, Landworks, Inc. in Kansas City, wants to give the following advice for caring for these beautiful plants.
- Where to Find: Poinsettia plants can be found at many major retailers with a lawn & garden section that includes plants. They can also be found at smaller local plant stores. You will see them pop up a lot in these places at this time of their year, given their ties to holiday traditions.
- Where to Grow: Poinsettia plants can be grown outdoors during summer, but they do not bloom until the days get shorter. That said, a poinsettia plant will be healthiest in moist soil in a temperature between 65 and 70 degrees fahrenheit. In most places, proper landscape maintenance would be to move them inside around the time they start to bloom. When stored inside, it’s best to put the shrub in a south, east or west window where the plant will receive bright daylight. Around four to six hours of sunlight is advised daily. Our advice is to keep them away from areas where temperature fluctuates or may be drying, such as near cold drafts, heat ducts, fireplaces, fans, and space heaters.
- Advice For Watering: Watering is a crucial part of any landscape maintenance routine. For proper care of a poinsettia plant, keep the soil moist. Water the plant whenever the soil surface feels dry to a light touch, or if the pot feels light when lifted. Don’t allow a poinsettia plant to get so dry that it wilts. Make sure to remove the poinsettia plant from any decorative pot it came in and transplant it into one that will drain freely. Do not allow the plant to sit in excess water, this constant wetness will cause the plant roots to rot.
- Safety: While many people will tell you about the poinsettia plant being deadly, this is not true. Poinsettia plant sap can irritate the skin but it is not fatal if eaten. You should keep it in a place where small children and pets cannot get at it easily, however, as it can cause them to develop a mouth rash and make their stomach upset.
Landworks, Inc. can help with all your landscape needs in Shawnee, Lenexa, Olathe, Overland Park, Leawood, and Prairie Village, poinsettia plant related or not. Call us today at (913) 422-9300 or click here to contact us online. We’re experts in all things landscape related and can handle residential or commercial clients. The quality of our work is without question.