FLOWERS in your home are lovely, but let’s face it – they’re expensive and they die.
But if you pick a well thought through plant, you can bring colour into your home long term and it doesn’t cost nearly as much.
This time of year poinsettias are the perfect floral addition to your house.
Loads of us buy them for the festive season, but did you know that with the right care they can last until next Christmas?
Poinsettias aren’t easy to maintain but garden pros have shared exactly how to keep them fresher for longer.
The experts at Westland have shared their top tips for keeping the sweet plants alive all year round.
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The first thing to do is keep them cosy, they like sunlight so put them by a window and try and make sure they get six hours a day if possible.
Make sure they don’t touch the cold window though because they don’t like changing temperatures.
The experts said: “They much prefer a steady room temperature between 18°C and 25°C.
“Poinsettias need warmth and plenty of natural, filtered light, so being close to a radiator shouldn’t be a problem.
“Don’t keep them near the fire, doorways or windows. Cosy temperatures are the way forward with this stunning red leafy plant.”
Lots of people don’t realise that you need to feed the Christmas plants too.
Without food, they’ll go an ugly yellow colour and we don’t want that.
The pros say you should use regular houseplant fertiliser, so it can be used for all indoor plants, not just your Christmas poinsettias.
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The experts also advised misting your poinsettias every day, because they’re used to the humidity of Mexico – where they’re from.
The professionals said: “To keep those stunning red leaves vibrant and the green leaves a rich green, you can mist your plant to raise the humidity levels.
“The mist keeps the plant happy and saves you time in the long run too.”
When it comes to water, too much can do just as much damage as too little.
Poinsettias like to sit in damp soil but it shouldn’t be soaking
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The experts said: “It’s simple really, pop your finger on the soil, if it’s bone dry, water it. Don’t overwater it though.
“What you want to avoid is the roots sitting in water, which will rot the roots – this isn’t good for any of your houseplants.”
