Many people ask me the question, “How often should I water a poinsettia?” My reply is usually, “At least once a week”. Poinsettias love a lot of water. They like it moist, but not muddy. They also like it moistened by the rays of the sun, but not so much that they drown in it.
One reason we give plants water is so that they can eliminate harmful organisms, bacteria and parasites from your plants and the soil around them. These living things break down your soil, killing all your hard work and stressing your plants out. Some of these organisms can actually become food for bugs. By controlling these destructive things in your garden, you will improve your plant care and your garden’s health.
Even with poinsettia plants are annuals (which love water), you must water them often to keep them healthy and to eliminate diseases from the soil around them. If you do not water your poinsettia plants, they will go into a deep sleep, which is what they enjoy. When they wake up, it will be hard to tell when they wake up or if you watered them. In addition, they will likely die if you do not water them often enough.
Watering a poinsettia should usually start in the spring. The sun is out and they will like the warmer days. In the fall, after a hard rain, the soil will probably still be damp from having dried out while it was raining, but it will be cooler outside, which means your poinsettia plant will need less water. Remember not to leave the plant sitting in water for more than a few minutes because you will burn it.
Some people believe that poinsettia don’t need much water at all, but this is simply not true. They absolutely need it. You should water poinsettia every day no matter what season it is. As an added precaution, you should never water your poinsettia plants more than once a week, since this will stunt their growth. If they are over-watered, they will die.
You should never over-water poinsettia plants, because this will stunt their growth and kill them. Over watering will also attract ants and other insects to your garden, so this isn’t a good idea. Instead, water your poinsettia plants just enough to keep them moist and healthy. Excess water can also drown the leaves of your poinsettia plants, which is a bad thing if you want them to bloom.
Your poinsettia plant should stay in a well-drained, rich soil. To find out what your soil type is, buy a garden kit at your local nursery. In addition to the soil, you will also need half a cup of bone meal mixed with half a cup of water. These ingredients can be found at most nurseries that sell plants. Once your poinsettia plant has started to grow, you can add these things to its pot in the fall.
If you live in an area where you get good rainfall, then you may consider using a spray bottle to water your poinsettia plants. Just make sure that you aren’t spraying your poinsettia too much, as this will stunt its growth. Instead, just give the water some time to percolate through the soil. This method of watering is also beneficial if you have a fenced in garden, as you can move the plants around to avoid getting the leaves wet.
Another thing you should do when caring for your poinsettia plant is to watch for signs of over-watering. As the leaves on your poinsettia begin to turn a dark green color, this is a sign that more water needs to be added. If you see this color change, cut back on the watering. You don’t want your poinsettia leaves turning an unsightly shade of brown.
One other thing that you should be aware of is that Poinsettias thrive in relatively warm temperatures, but they do require a little bit of sunlight. They are best kept in a sunny window box, but this isn’t always possible. If your poinsettia is in a shaded area of your home, you can place them inside the shaded area during the day and just switch them over to the open window at night. During the hot part of the day when the sun is shining, you can also move your poinsettia plants around a bit to ensure they get some exposure to indirect sunlight as well.
How often I water a poinsettia plant? The number one rule of thumb when it comes to caring for a poinsettia, no matter how often you water, is not to over-water them. They will require more water than other varieties of poinsettia because they grow bigger and have larger leaves. Like all plants, poinsettias need certain amounts of water on a regular basis, especially if you live in a dry or hot climate. Although poinsettias are generally quite drought resistant compared to other types of plants, they can still suffer from periods of drought, so over-watering them could end up causing them to wilt.
