How to revive the Christmas star If during the festive season you have got a Christmas star and these days you see her clothes off and off, to the point that you are seriously thinking of deleting it, do not do it, because with a little 'commitment You can give her new life and get her back in shape for next Christmas.
The poinsettia is native to Central America and Mexico, which grows wild, and appears to be related to Maya and the Aztecs, who considered it sacred. The plant was almost unknown for centuries, even the English conquistadores not care, though they were struck by its beauty.
In 1800, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Robert Poinsett, brought a copy in South Carolina, to begin to cultivate the plant in his honor and was renamed " Poinsettia."
then goes back to the custom of giving during the holiday season, because its blooms at this time (and even its colors, red and green, are typical of the time). Along with mistletoe and holly, the Christmas plant is considered par excellence.
If treated well, the plant can also be flourished more than two months. It should be kept in an environment with a temperature around 20 ° C, very bright with a good moisture, which also must be recreated in the pot: it is a little wet, but continuously.
Normally, after it has faded, it tends to throw it away, thinking that it can no longer flourish in the home. In fact, you can make it flourish and if we are good, it will just during the Christmas holidays.
The first thing to do when the colored bracts fall (to me is happening these days) is to prune it to about 10 cm from the ground. This cut serves to reactivate growth. Be careful not to touch the white latex that comes out: it is toxic to skin and mucous membranes and can cause rashes, itching and burning. After pruning will no longer be necessary to water constantly, but that will be wet enough to not let it dry.
Then in April-May need to repot in a pot and put 2-3 cm bigger than the outside (the temperature must be at least 18 ° C) in a shelter and not directly exposed to sunlight, where it will remain until September.
From September onwards we will be able to create the conditions for new flowering. The poinsettia is a plant that blooms when the length of the night exceeds that of the day: therefore needs a very dark, at least for two months. Just then cover with a sheet of fabric or a black box where it can move enough air or even with a black bag waste (again, careful to put some posts or something that supports it, so passing the 'air). Or, more simply, you can bring the plant in an environment that is sufficiently dark for most of the day.
not assure you of the results from professional gardener, but want a satisfaction, not to throw it and keep it alive?