Cut poinsettia - when and why do you do it?

Reasons to cut poinsettias

Remove rotten, dry and diseased shoots
Cut back the plant before the summer break
Keep poinsettia in shape
stimulate the formation of new shoots
Cut the stems for the vase

Cut the poinsettia into shape

In an unfavorable location that is too dark, the shoots of the poinsettia tend to bare. They become long and thin, what the gardener calls horny. You can cut off these shoots so that the houseplant retains a compact shape.

Cut back the poinsettia after flowering

If you want to take care of the poinsettia for several years, you should cut it back after flowering before putting it outside over the summer. Be sure to remove any old flowers.

To do this, shorten all the stems by half. You can also cut out branches that grow crosswise.

When pruning, you can cut lignified parts of the plant.

Cut dry or rotten stems

If the poinsettia is watered too much or too little, the shoots can wither or rot.

You should immerse dried poinsettias in a water bath for a short time. The plant then usually recovers. If the stems remain dry, cut them off.

This also applies to rotten stems caused by waterlogging or too frequent watering. Let the potting compost dry out for a few days to allow the poinsettia to recover.

Cut poinsettia for the vase

Poinsettias are not only great as a pot plant for Christmas. The bracts can also be cut as a cut flower for the vase. To make the stems last longer, they are held over a lit candle or lighter for a short time after they have been cut. This closes the interface and the sap cannot leak any further.

Poinsettias look particularly beautiful in the vase together with branches of the corkscrew hazelnut or a fir tree.