I hate poinsettias!

I know that I must be thought of as a grinch for admitting my extreme dislike for poinsettias. They are too fragile to deal with. I can't leave mine all lined up neatly on my entrance steps inviting guests to stop by for some holiday cheer because the temps dip in the nights. And yes I am too lazy to take them in and out each day.

The plant dies even faster inside of my house of doom. The wood heater gets too hot for them, I forget to water them, and I do not have enough of natural light inside for me to even thrive (that's why you will find me outside most days soaking up the rays).

Sure I walk by the plants in the stores and start humming a x-mas jingle, but inwardly I am snarling at that perfect red and lovely green plant that says "take me with you, I'll be good this year." I almost fall for it but I scurry out of the store not purchasing what I came in for.

Maybe that is why Eve could not resist the temptation of the apple (no comments on the apple please. Just go along for the ride Red grabs you. And there is nothing more holiday joy than the appearance of the POINSETTIA.

Maybe I am just mad because I cannot enjoy it all year. It is here so briefly. And mines always ends up bald. I have been a great parent to many plants, but I will never be a great parent for the poinsettia.

Torment me with pictures of your healthy poinsettia please

Happy holidays!!

 

We rarely have them, because the story goes like this almost every time:

I bring them home, arrange them lovingly in the windows, and they take one look around them, sigh and die.

This probably has to do with buying them from a warm store and bringing them through the cold weather to my home. Even though they are well wrapped, they get chilled. I like them, and I think they are the most christmassy plant one can find. I always try again too.

The girls want hyacinths, and I like the azalea for Christmas. That's what we'll have this year.

 

I cannot help either of you

I cannot dare to keep poinsettias - my dogs "love gardening" and since the poinsettia is a Euphorbia it is a bit poisonous for them.

Hyacinths have such a wonderful fragrance. I love those. Your girls have good taste / smell Droopy.

 

Yes, haven't they just! We're going shopping for them this afternoon. They like choosing their own colours. I hear that lots of people are allergic to the poinsettia blooms too. Strange, when they are so small.

 

I can't help you out either, its to cold up here, too hot in the house, an no light. Not a very good enviroment for a tempermental plant.

 

I was standing and taking a foto of a snowy, sharp peak in the Himalayas once. It was beautiful to see on a pristine day. My partner was standing near-by and said , "Do you realize what you're standing under"? I looked-around and all I saw were bare branches od aome kind of shrub.
I stepped back an looked again...there on the foregeound was a poinsetta that was nearly twice my height (6'3"). I was shocked! The poinsettas that I knew were the smallish table plants, I had never thouight of how they looked in their natural habitat. well I moved around and got into a position where I could see the Nepaleese peak with the poinsetta as a foreground.

Anyway... I have success with poinsettas by not putting them in the direct sunlight and I put a wide container filled with water under the pot with the poinsdetta in it. The evaporation of the water goes upwards and keeps the plant leaves in a somewhat moist state. One problem in my house is the harmful dry air that you get in the winter time.
The light that they do get comes in the window for less than two hours per day, but they get indirect light all day long.
Another thing that I do is --every 4 days, I submerge the pot into a bucket od water and let ir bubble until it stioos bubbling, then I put it back into it's container. I religiopusly do this and have even held it over.
I haven't had poinsettas for a few of years because it is poisinous for the cats.
I did have them in a west window once-- they did it one year and the next year they died...
I do believe that having a dish with water under the plant helps alot. I do that with other plants like ferns and split-leafed monstera.

I apologise for this somewhat chaotic note...I am pressed for time. Good luck

Addendum: Drooppy, maybe you need to use a grow light on it for a few hours per day as the darkness increases.

 

Gosh Sjoerd you get around don't you.

You have been practically everywhere. That must have been an amazing site a poinsettia growing that big.

The split leaf monstera you are talking about - tell us more please?

 

I'm not a fan of Poinsettia's either. I think they look lovely at Christmas time. It's after the red leaves fall off and they begin to look scraggly where I just can't stand the sight of them. I usually end up having to put them out of their misery.
Does anyone know the treatment they need to grow more red leaves? I seem to recall something about a period of darkness...

 

Thank goodness it was not just me having trouble with the plant. I also stand corrected when I said red bloom, it is the leaf that is red. It is so pretty that the mind plays tricks and thinks blooms for beauty and not foliage.

Like I said, I am some what of a lazy gardener and the plant needs more baths and water than I do (yes, laugh at that. Are you for real that the plant in its native environ is that big? Wow, nature is amazing and man is creative.

Words used to describe a pinsettia at home: naked, bald, tempermental almost sounds like someone I know

 

I like poinsettia's...to me they represent a part of Christmas. I do not try to keep them around and plant them outside, and save them for next year. Once all the leaves start dropping and the plant begins to look ugly and bare...out it goes

 

I agree with Kuntrygal. I almost can't imagine Christmas without poinsettias. They remind me of my mom and grandma, they always had at least one in the house at Christmas. I've almost bought one several times but have held off because my little house gets too warm. Friends usually send one to my office so I'm hoping they don't break the tradition! My office is the best green house I've ever had! I have 2 huge South facing windows and my plants thrive! But, I look at the poinsettias as "disposable" if they start looking sad and puny they go out with the trash. Yes, I feel guilty but that way it makes room for my geraniums!
Deanna
:-D

 

I dont even try anymore whats the point .I'll just condemn it to death .

 

Hello Palm,

It was indeed. I couldn't believe my eyes.

The splitleaf monstera is a viney-type house plant plant like the philodendron. In fact the monstera IS in the philodendron family.
It's broad leaves have splits in them when it's happy. There are many different types with all sorts of leaf bredths.
Don't they sell them there? If it wasn't in the middle of the night here, I'd take a snapshot of mine. I shall try and take a foto tomorrow.

 

Oh,

You can add me to people that don't like them. There's just something about them that irks me.

You just reminded me that I have to do a post on my blog about how much I dislike them.