A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Poinsettia

In a decorating magizine I was reading today, it told people to just through out their Poinsettias when they are done blooming because of "the complex regimen needed to produce next years display". What are the thoughts on this? Is it really that hard?

I never get them and ask family not to give me any because of the effort to bring them along for next year, and, because they're perenials, I feel very bad to kill them on an anual basis. We also put up a chopped-down-used-to-be-live Christmas tree. I'm inconsistant, I know, but you asked for thoughts

Yea, I guess maybe it's not such a far reach to say they should be thrown out every year. I guess I'm like you Margaret...hate to throw out a perfectly alive plant...I don't think I'll get one either...maybe a Christmas Catcus instead...I can keep that one around better.
Cheers Am

And I braved to grow one,but have killed my others.But I'VE SEEN THEM growing inground down in Corpus Christi.They get about 10 ft tall.If I can keep alive till march.....well try again.

I ususally get 2 each year on Black Friday really cheap.....and because of the requirements needed to get them to rebloom I generally do pitch them...and I HATE to do it...

It just doesn't feel christmasy enough without at least one poinsettia though.

I agree, they do seem to make things a little more "christmasy." I love the really rich dark red ones...although they seem to keep coming out with new ones every christmas.

I saw some HIDEOUS (imho) turquoise and purplish ones at Home Depot. Nobody was buying them. They just didn't look right!

a bit of advice for those who do buy pointsettias this year,, pull the pot off the plant before you select one, they are suseptable to a disease called bitritis (dont know if thats spelled right) and once they get it,, they only good for compost. They should have nice white roots,,if they are brown,, pick a different one!

Thanks Bill, for your helpful link to Poinsettia care.

I believe that in funnyfarmresident's tip about Poinsettia disease, she was referring to "Botrytis". What I found on the subject is from Dr. Larry Barnes, Professor of plant Pathology/Extension Specialist - Texas A&M University System. (I didn't search any farther, as given his title & affiliation, I figure it's safe to assume that he knows his stuff.)
Here's what he has to say about it: As for detecting Poinsettia disease by looking at the roots, Dr. Barnes offers the following:
For the complete article, read: Poinsettia Disease Primer by Dr. Larry Barnes

Also, thanks to funnyfarmresident for alerting us to what to look for when buying our plants this year. (It never occured to me to look past the glitter & the pretty packaging! Maybe I can chose a healthy 1 this time, & keep it alive!)

they had some at walmart that looked purple, and i touched a leaf, and this blue chalky powder came off on my hand. they are now dusting them with blue powder to make them look purple! not just glitter anymore.

i may get one just because this is my first "real" christmas with my husband. but i'm going to get one from the supermarket because i'm mad at walmart right now and i dont like the glitter on them.

I love poinsettias! All you have to do is cover them for 12 hours a day for about 40 days. Now, the bracts won't be as nice as they were originally but it's not hard to do. I took a few cuttings last spring and one is 8" tall now and colored up for me nicely!

I like them as foiliage plants as well so if they don't color up for me it's o.k., I do buy a few new one each year anyway...

Happy holidays!

Tom

Poinsettia's are beautiful plants. They just aren't given enough credit. My mom has a poinsettia going on now for eight years. This year since I always enjoyed my mom's I finally decided to get one for my own. My mom's is out right huge. We live in Brooklyn, NY. What she does is on St. Patrick's Day she literally prunes it back to just stems. The leaves are falling off and looking bad anyway. Then in May she repots and brings it outside to live and it gets back all it's leaves and more. I found that homegrown poinsetta leaves are way smaller than the store bought ones when you first get it, but it still looks beautiful. By mid September she brings it back indoors and then in October she starts giving it the darkness it needs all the way till Thanksgiving and by then all the bracts are back to red. It's really a sight to see.
I bought myself a peach and white marbled looking one this year. I am hoping I have as much luck with this plant as my mom has had.

I also have a Christmas cactus I received on Mother's Day. She hasn't bloomed for me yet *boo hoo*..and it's almost Christmas, but she is beautiful as well and has grown a whole lot. Maybe next year she will bloom..*crossing fingers here*..

Christmas cactus also need increasing hours of darkness in the fall to bloom. Indoor lighting can be enough to keep them from blooming. This is another plant for "closet treatment."

Fairy...take a picture of your moms plant.I'd love to see it.

At Franklin Park conservatory in Columbs OH is a holiday show with over 100 varieties.
http://www.fpconservatory.org/mastercal.htm
Ends Jan 21st

Here's about the #1 grower.

http://www.pauleckepoinsettias.com/html/comp_fset.html


I have 4 cuttings rooting off my plant.My plant caught a gust of wind....


I've been looking some.Here are 2 grown in queensland.a white& red.nice

Do I need to water (and how often) while my Poinsettia is in the dark this winter?

Yes and fertilize. Water when the soil gets a bit dry but not totally dry. Remember, 12 hours in darkness, the rest of the day in bright light.

Happy new year to all!

Tom