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 Poinsettia
These fantastic Christmas houseplants like a position in good natural light and can stand direct sunshine. Keep at normal room temperature between 12°C (55°F) and 21°C (70°F). Water twice a week from the top of the pot, adding liquid food every 14 days. Never let the plant dry out. Spray daily with water to keep the leaves fresh but do not use leaf shine. Keep your plant away from draughts and gas fires.
It is best to treat poinsettias as a one season plant, but if you do wish to try and keep yours for another year allow it to rest for several weeks after the flowers have died, watering only once a week. In spring cut off the top shoots and repot. If the stem has been rooted into a smaller inner pot treat this as the rootball and do not try to remove it. Do not firm down the soil. Keep the plant shaded from full sun and after 4-6 weeks repot again. Start to give more water, adding liquid feed every 14 days. The plant will easily grow another 12-18 inches before forming flower bracts but will need long periods of darkness for the bracts to colour up fully so keep away from direct sunlight whilst it grows.
Problems
Leaves turn yellow, curl then fall: Too hot and dry and too dark.
Leaves shrivel and dry: Gas fires, move to a fume-free room.
Whole plant droops: Draughts, move to a protected position.
Leaves distorted and sticky: Greenfly, spray with insecticide.
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