What am I doing wrong?

Mrs_Bones

Someone brought me a lovely Poinsettia but it's starting to wilt and the leaves are shriveling up. I have a bad reputation with houseplants. Out door plants are fine, mother nature seems to look after them beautifully in the garden but as soon as I get something indoors I seem to be the kiss of death to it.

Has anyone got any ideas how I can save this plant, at least for a little while longer.

LavenderBees

Mrs_Bones wrote: »

Someone brought me a lovely Poinsettia but it's starting to wilt and the leaves are shriveling up. I have a bad reputation with houseplants. Out door plants are fine, mother nature seems to look after them beautifully in the garden but as soon as I get something indoors I seem to be the kiss of death to it.

Has anyone got any ideas how I can save this plant, at least for a little while longer.

Sorry, this is going to be no help really...maybe you have a poorly plant or one that has been exposed to frost (in the wraehouse or from shop to car, car to home etc).

I have had Poinsettias in the past that have lasted for months, but this year's started dropping to bits only a week after I bought it, so I doubt it was anything I did!

Try making sure it isn't over or under watered, and nowhere near a heat source (like a radiator or fire) or a draught..in other words avoid extremes.

I've trimmed the ratty bits off mine, and it looks healthy again, but really isn't. It'll be lucky to see me through Christmas Day

Sambucus_Nigra

Usually too much or too little water, or too warm.

Mrs_Bones

Thanks.

I did have it near a radiator so I've moved it now. Hopefully it will last a little longer.

Errata

Sounds like it's dying of thirst. IME once they've started to kick the bucket nothing can save them.

greyteam1959

Poinsettia's are very fragile plants......google them & have a read !!!
Even a brief blast of cold air carrying them to your car can make them curl up & die.

Davesnave

I think you are doing exactly the right thing. Poinsettias should be called pointlessias. Killing them off at the first opportunity is really a great kindness.

I think it's fair to add that in bringing these hideous and useless plants to us, the nurseries have to manipulate daylight, among other things. In other words, they exist for about 10months in a very controlled environment.

Then, one day, someone comes along and loads them all onto a Danish trolley and ships them off to the retail outlets. On the way, they may suffer all kinds of indignities, ranges of temperature etc, so their cushy life ends some time before they reach you.

It's highly likely that bad handling prior to sale is the cause of many premature deaths, not just modern low-humidity homes with central heating.

So, regardless of what anyone else says, you're in the clear! :rotfl: