Poinsettia loses leaves and leaves leaves hanging

If the Christmas star - botanically called Euphorbia pulcherrima - loses individual leaves after flowering, this is a natural process. In many cases, however, the leaves fall off or the leaves hang just a few days after purchase. As a rule, there are maintenance errors and / or a suboptimal location behind it. To ensure that the poinsettia does not die, it is essential to act quickly. In the plant magazine you can find out what to do when poinsettias droop or leaves fall off.

causes

Poinsettias react to inappropriate locations

The Euphorbia pulcherrima is one of the more demanding plant species. He makes clear demands on his location. Even the smallest deviations favor the falling and hanging of leaves, which can develop into complete "nudity".
If you notice leaf drop or yellow parts of the plant outside of the post-flowering period, you should immediately check that the location meets the following requirements:

brightness

If the poinsettia is too dark, it quickly loses its leaves. As a rule, the waste begins at the base of the shoot. Poinsettias are also one of the so-called Short day plants. That means: they need an average of eight for optimal photosynthesis and flower formation Hours of bright daylight and, accordingly, the time in the dark or shade should not be 16 hours exceed.

It is all the more important to change the location of falling or hanging leaves if too little light is shining on the poinsettia. Especially in winter with many gray days, this is often the reason for yellow and falling leaves.

Light intensity

Daylight is not the same as daylight, but in plants it depends on the light intensity. If it is too low, this can be the reason for the leaves hanging and falling off, especially if the poinsettia is in the room.
That is why you should treat a poinsettia to a bright window seat facing south during the winter months. In summer, taking into account the light intensity, it should either stand one meter from a south-facing window, for example on a table, or on the windowsill a window facing west or east so that the hot sunlight does not cause burns, which also lead to leaf fall through drying out can. In winter, however, direct sunlight ensures cozy warmth, which is good for the Advent star.

temperature

Cold causes leaves to fall off

The Euphorbia pulcherrima generally likes it warm. It is sensitive to cold and quickly drops its foliage and / or the leaves fall off. It can only tolerate temperatures below ten degrees Celsius for a short time and only when the flowering period is over. Check whether the ambient temperature is between 15 ° C and 21 ° C and move the plant if necessary so that it can live within this temperature range. As a rule, the leaf drop then stops after a few days.

tip: If you buy a Christmas star on a frosty winter's day, it may be the only way out of the Store / greenhouse to the car freeze the poinsettia and therefore lose the foliage in the following days leaves. For this reason, it is advisable to buy poinsettias either only on frost-free winter days or thickly wrapped in foil and do not leave them in the cold vehicle for too long.

Leaf waste from drafts

Since the poinsettia can react to the cold by dropping leaves, cool drafts are not for them. Place it in a sheltered location and pull it out of any drafts when airing. Then he recovers.

humidity

Humidity too low

If your Euphorbia pulcherrima is in an environment with dry ambient air, the leaves will quickly hang. It recovers just as quickly after watering, but as a result it gets yellow leaves, which it then loses. He feels really comfortable with a humidity of at least 70 percent.

It can be difficult if the location is in Close to the heating because heating air automatically ensures dry air conditions. Make sure to set up a humidifier in the immediate vicinity of the plant in winter. These can be bought cheaply in stores as electrical devices. Alternatively, a bowl of water next to the Euphorbia pulcherrima also fulfills the same purpose, provided that you always ensure that the water level is sufficient.

Daily spraying of the leaves also promotes the high moisture requirements of poinsettias. Without heating air, vigorous watering is usually sufficient and then allowing the soil to dry well before each watering.

Too high humidity

If the humidity is too high, a poinsettia will hang its leaves and yellow discoloration will follow, if this does not give the earth a chance to dry off. For this reason, locations such as a bathroom with a daily shower or next to a washer and / or dryer are not a good choice. If your Euphorbia pulcherrima is too moist and it is losing its first leaves, it should be moved to a location with less humidity and it is better to water it once too little than too often.

Waterlogging

Are you using a trivet under the plant pot and not drying it? Or is the substrate possibly compacted and preventing excess irrigation water from draining off? Then can hanging leaves be the consequence. In the initial stage it is sufficient if you provide a possibility for the backwater to run off and when the soil is “used up”, plant the plant in new substrate. Basically, saucers have to be freed from any run-off irrigation water. Then wait about two to four days before you start watering again so that the plant can dry out and recover.
Is it already at an advanced stage and a Root rot could be the case, do the following:

• Expose the root
• Get rid of earth debris as much as possible
• Shorten the root by a third
• Completely cut off moldy and / or soggy parts of the root
• Let the root air dry for 12 hours (never place it on a heater or dry it with a hairdryer)
• Plant the poinsettia in dry, fresh substrate
• Pour only briefly so that the earth sags and the roots can find support
• Wait at least two to three days before starting normal watering again

Yellow leaves from pests

If the humidity is dry, leaf drop or hanging foliage on the poinsettia does not have to be due to this. A pest infestation can also hide behind it. Above all Spider mites and Sciarid gnats Then it draws on Advent stars.

Combat

• Cut off heavily infested parts of the plant
• Shower the poinsettia vigorously
• Place in a translucent plastic bag immediately after the shower and seal it airtight
• Open the bag after about three days
• If the infestation is severe, let the plant “breathe” for 24 hours and repeat the process
• In future, place the poinsettia in an environment with higher humidity

Be careful when buying in supermarkets & Co.

In order to have so little effort with Christmas stars in the sales rooms of supermarkets, these are usually already very generously soaked when they are delivered there. Due to the usually cooler room temperature, the irrigation water evaporates poorly, so that the soil moisture remains high for a long time. This creates too much moisture, as described above, and also plays inferior Quality often especially with cheap plants, a big role for sloping and yellow ones Foliage.

Therefore, instead of waiting for the leaves to hang and fall, act immediately. Plant your specimen in high-quality, fresh substrate and water it vigorously once. With a Repot in fresh substrate you increase the chances of a long life and healthy growth.

tip: To avoid problems with your new poinsettia, it is advisable to pay a few euros more and buy it from a nursery.