Poinsettia Selection and Care

Poinsettias are the most popular holiday plant and selection and care are two important aspects we need to look at. Poinsettias are the featured plant in retail garden centers, florist shops and grocery stores from mid-November through December. The popular plants are available in a tremendous variety of colors including red, white, marble, pink and combinations of these colors.

While red poinsettias represent a little over 70 percent of the market, other colors are increasing in popularity. Many new poinsettia varieties that appeal more to floral designers are now available.

There are several items to consider when purchasing poinsettias for the holidays. These include the size and number of the colored leaves – which also are referred to as bracts. Bracts should be large and extend over the lower green leaves. Keep in mind the number and size of bracts usually dictate plant price. A premium-quality poinsettia usually has at least six bracts and should have more. In addition to looking at the colored leaves or bracts, another thing to do is inspect the lower green leaves on poinsettias. These should have good appearance and extend over the rim of the pot.

Warn, drooping leaves on poinsettias may indicate problems, so be sure to check plants for insects – primarily white flies – underneath the lower leaves prior to purchasing.

The most important observation that can be made before purchasing a poinsettia is inspection of the green flower parts (cyathia) in the center of the bracts. These flower parts indicate display life. Plants having large cyathia that are showing yellow pollen and sap will have the least amount of display life left. Plants with smaller cyathia, little to no pollen and no sap will have the longest display life.

Poinsettias should easily last for four to six weeks in a home’s interior environment if proper care is provided. To prolong the beauty and health of poinsettias once they are in the home, proper care is essential.

Although poinsettias do not become acclimated to interior settings as well as most foliage plants, it is easy to be successful. Select a location that receives some sunlight. That means interior hallways are a poor location. It also is very important to avoid exposing the plant to sudden temperature changes, so don't place the poinsettia near a ventilation system or in a drafty spot near a doorway. The ideal temperature for poinsettias is 70-75 degrees in the day and 62-65 at night.

As for watering, you should allow the soil surface to dry out thoroughly before watering the plant with warm water. Just the soil surface should be dry to the touch before watering again. Avoid water or mist on the colored bracts, and do not let the poinsettia stand in water for more than 30 minutes to an hour.

It's not easy to control the humidity in your house, but plants grow best where the humidity is greatest - usually in the kitchen. Sometimes you can help improve the humidity around a plant by putting the plant on a pebble-filled saucer with water just below the base of the pot, but not touching it.

Poinsettia Open House

The LSU AgCenter’s 2006 Poinsettia Open House is set for Dec. 8 at its Burden Center in Baton Rouge. The annual event, which provides poinsettia growers and the public with an opportunity to view some of the latest poinsettia varieties and to see results of LSU AgCenter research with the plants, will be held from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the Ione E. Burden Conference Center. Attendance is free and open to the public.

The open house will feature 70 poinsettia varieties from Paul Ecke Ranch, Fischer USA, Dummen, First Class Selecta and Ogelvee, said Dr. Jeff Kuehny, a horticulturist with the LSU AgCenter. The open house also will feature research results from a fertilization and post-harvest study that will be of interest to growers.

Kuehny and LSU AgCenter research associate Wanda Ellis will present a program focusing on new varieties and the care and selection of poinsettias at 11 a.m. as part of the open house.

In addition, the public will have opportunities to "vote" on preferences for new varieties as well as to purchase some of the plants used in the research program.

For additional information on this year’s open house, contact Kuehny at (225) 578-2158 or jkuehny@agcenter.lsu.edu.

Cold Protection

Now let's direct our attention outdoors and take a look at gardening. One of your main duties for this time of year is to protect your plants from damaging cold weather. Citrus trees, poinsettias, cassia, rubber plants, hibiscus, allamanda, bougainvillea, philodendron, succulents, copper plants, coleus, silk oak and night-blooming jasmine all need protection.

Protection means covering the upper parts of the plant and the soil over the roots. Covering just the exposed parts of the plants is not enough in a hard freeze. It is important to remove all the protective coverings on the parts of the plants above the ground immediately after the frost danger has passed.

As far as covering the soil is concerned, put mulch around tender plants or those you think are susceptible to cold damage. Leaves, leaf mold, bagasse, pine needles or sawdust all make good mulches. Also, you may need to water your plants if you expect a freeze. Many plants die because they don't get enough water and become dehydrated.

Question of the Week: What is an easy way to keep shovels, trowels and other tools clean when not in use?

Answer: Dr. Dick Parish, Agricultural Engineer with the LSU AgCenter has an easy way for you to keep your tools clean. There is no simple way to avoid washing the mud and caked clay off your tools. It takes only a minute with a garden hose to get the mess off your tools. Oil and sand can make your cleanup easier! Simply fill a bucket 2/3 full of clean sand and add a little oil. Used engine oil drained from your car is fine; it doesn’t have to be new, clean oil and a few quarts is enough. The point is to have a little oil in the sand, not a little sand in the oil. If you can see liquid oil on top of the sand, you have way too much oil.
 
Now, simply plunge the washed tool into the bucket a few times. Any remaining dirt will be sanded off, and the tool will be oiled. If you haven’t overdone the quantity of oil, the tool will have a film of oil, but not enough to drip and make a mess. The tool is now ready to hang up and store. It will be clean and rust-free when you next need it.

For more information on these as well as other horticultural topics, call me at 985-446-1316 or email me at bhfletcher@agctr.lsu.edu. You can also check out the LSU AgCenter website at www.lsuagcenter.com.