Gardening Tips

Crown of Christ: care

Crown of Christ: care

The Euphorbia milii receives its common name of plant crown of Christ or crown of thorns plant because there is a legend that this was the plant that was used to make his crown of thorns. This plant, from Madagascar, is a shrub that reaches, and even exceeds, heights of 1 meter and stands out for the red or pink bracts of its flowers, which are very striking.

It is a very resistant succulent plant, which can flower throughout the year in the right climate and conditions. If you want to learn more about how to take care of the crown of Christ plant, keep reading us in this EcologíaVerde article where you will find a crown of christ plant care guide.

Climate for the crown of thorns plant

Due to its original tropical habitat, this plant does not tolerate low temperatures or exceptionally hot and dry summers. The plant thorns of Christ should ideally be kept at temperatures of between 20ºC and 35ºC.

Cold winters can do a lot of damage or even kill it, and it should never be exposed to temperatures below 5ºC, not even occasionally.

Corona de Cristo: care - Climate for the crown of thorns plant

Location and light for the crown of Christ

Is the Crown of Christ Plant Sun or Shade? The answer is definitely the first option. The Euphorbia milii It performs best and produces more flowers when exposed to full sun, even in hot climates. So if you want to enjoy the christ crown flowerlook for one location as sunny as possible.

It may happen that, if your crown of Christ was indoors and you move it to a place in full sun, it suffers burns on some leaves due to lack of habit. However, in a few days or weeks the plant will have adapted without any problems and will quickly recover.

Crown of Christ: care - Location and light for the crown of Christ

Substrate for the crown of Christ

The crown of Christ is not demanding with its substratum except for one characteristic: drainage. The plant does not need a soil that is very rich in nutrients, but it does need a substrate that does not retain water or moisture for too long.

If you plant in the garden, find an area where the water does not pool when you water. If you grow it in a pot, prepare a mixture with peat and river sand or coconut fiber, which lighten and improve drainage capacity. A bit of vermiculite and perlite will also help.

Irrigation of the crown of Christ plant

The thorn of Christ is a very hardy species in terms of resistance to drought. Can withstand long seasons without irrigation and, in fact, he is grateful to have them. water your Euhprobia milii only when the substrate has dried completely, even a little beyond the most superficial layer. Then apply to the plant a copious wateringalthough always without flooding it, a detail for which it is so important that your crown of Christ has a soil with the best possible drainage.

If you cultivate Thorn of Christ potted plantMake sure it has drainage holes. If you put a plate under it, always empty it about 20 minutes after watering so that it does not reabsorb the water and suffer from waterlogging.

In winter, space your waterings even more, especially if the temperature is low, since the humidity in the soil can do a lot of damage together with the cold.

Corona de Cristo: care - Watering the Corona de Cristo plant

Fertilizer for the crown of thorns plant

This plant does not need fertilizer although, like all plants, a small dose can help with flowering. You can use specific fertilizer for succulents well diluted in water. It is very important that it does not contain boron, since it does not suit you.

Do not apply too much and, if you are not clear about the quantities, in this case it is better to err on the side of deficiency than of excess: if you pay too much it will not bloom.

Pruning of the crown of Christ

The plant does not require pruning either, although if you want to control its growth and shape, the best time to do it is in summer.

How to prune the crown of Christ It has no secret: sterilize the tools and cut the parts that have grown too much. After the summer, in autumn, you can remove the withered leaves and branches so that the euphorbia stimulates its growth in the next season.

Wear thick gloves and be careful with its spines and its latex, which is irritating. In fact, wearing safety goggles can also save you the hassle of small splashes.

How to reproduce the plant crown of Christ or thorns

The christ crown seeds They are perfectly valid for the reproduction of the plant, but it is more common to multiply it by cuttings, since it is also very simple and much faster.

  1. To multiply by cuttings, cut a stem or a section of the central stem in the growing season.
  2. Store it on absorbent paper for 3 days to let the cut dry.
  3. After this time, moisten the cut area and plant the cuttings from the crown of Christ plant in seedbeds or small pots.
  4. Locate them in a warm and well-lit area but without direct sunlight. You can use homemade or specific rooting before planting them, which will help an even faster and optimal adaptation.
  5. Keep the substrate slightly moist for the first few weeks, until the cutting takes root, and after a month, move it to its final location, either a large pot or the ground.
Corona de Cristo: care - How to reproduce the crown of Christ or thorns plant

Why is my crown of Christ plant not blooming?

If you plant crown of Christ does not give flowers It can be due to two main reasons: it is not getting enough light or it is too cold. Move your euphorbia to a warmer, brighter location, avoiding excessive proximity to air conditioners, heaters, or other artificial heat sources.

However, it can also happen that you have overdone it with its fertilizer or that you have not used a specific one for plants of its type and, therefore, it is very difficult for it to bloom and it does not do so or it does so in little quantity and late.

If you like succulent plants, we encourage you to discover these 21 succulents with flowers: names, characteristics and photos. Also, down here you can see this Corona de Cristo plant care guide on video.

If you want to read more articles similar to Crown of Christ: carewe recommend that you enter our category .

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