My mum just bought 3 pots of poinsettia last week and the florist said that it doesn't require any sunlight to grow. So she placed it in her hair salon where there's air con during the day and cool breeze during the night. However, few days later there are whitish mould growing on the leaves and the leaves are turning black and drying out!! My mum left the plants there and few days later she got a call from the florist again. The florist told my mum that there's virus infection and has changed the soil of the plant and put all three of them in a new pot. Now the plant still has mouldy white stuff and quite a number of dried leaves. The leaves are turning black too.. however i want to save the plant and brought it home.. Then i googled on the plant and i was told it need a lot of sunlight, which is completely opposite from what the florist said. i also trimmed away some leaves that are drying and black.. i'm leaving it in my balcony now and hopefully it can grow.. i think it needs some sunlight too.. well i'm hoping for some advise because i really am not very sure how to grow this plant so please help! I WANNA SAVE THIS PLANT!!!!!!
If you are in Singapore, outside is good, east or north exposure. Cyathias (bits in the center) are the true flowers and the red 'petals' are just coloured leaves called bracts. These start out green then change colour if day length shortens and triggers the flower production. They do not want any extra water, just enough to moisten the soil, and freely flow out of the drain holes and away. Do not water them, put them in a drain dish, and let the soil re-soak the water that drained through. In Canada, as houseplants, people kill them by overwatering more than any other way. If the plant wilts, shrivels and even crisps at the edges, it is still most likely to survive. If the plant wilts, the soil stinks like mould, is heavy with water weight, it is most definately not coming back to life. You have fungal issues on your foliage, and need to chop the tops off 3-4 nodes (bumps on the stem where the leaves or branches come from) from the top. Remove every last bit of leaf and dispose of far away....fungal reinfection would occur if you left infected leaves lying around . The leaves should re-emerge from your bare stems in 2-3 weeks depending on weather. Keep the soil barely wet...so the moisture needs to be added every 2-3 days. Check by weight; pick it up to compare heaviness each day. Good luck, if this reply is in time to help!
