The time for poinsettias

Let’s Garden |  HHJ Columnist Tim Lewis;  timlewis1@windstream.net

One of the most delightful Christmas decorations is the poinsettia. Few plants are as showy as a bright, well-grown poinsettia. While red is the most popular color (approximately 80% of poinsettias sold are red), a wide range of other colors, including white, pink, marble, burgundy, and speckled, are on the market. Hundreds of varieties are available to the grower, but only a handful dominate sales. 

I thought it would be helpful once again if I shared with you some of the aspects of selecting a quality poinsettia. If you haven’t bought yours yet, following these guidelines will help you be more satisfied with your poinsettia purchase. 

First, choose plants with fully colored bracts (the colored leaves). Flowers are actually the yellow centers. Avoid plants on which the flowers are completely open and shedding pollen unless it is well into the month of December. They are past their prime and will not hold up very long.

Look for plants with dense, plentiful foliage. This is a sign of a healthy plant. Also, beware of swarming whiteflies (the major pest of the poinsettia) as you move the leaves of the plant. It is best to avoid such insect-infested plants.

Proper proportion of plant height and shape relative to container size is important to an aesthetically pleasing poinsettia. Plants should be round in shape when viewed from above and should appear balanced, full, and attractive from all sides. Generally, the height of the poinsettia plant and pot together should be no more than about two and one-half times the diameter of the pot (e.g., about 23-25 inches for a 10-inch pot or 20 inches for a 8” pot).

Select plants with strong, stiff stems, and erect bracts that show no signs of wilting, breaking, or drooping. Be wary of plants still in plastic or paper sleeves or jammed up tight against other plants in a sales display. Crowding can cause bract breakage and other problems. Poinsettias need space for air circulation. If the plant looks wilted and the soil is moist, that is a tell-tale sign of root rot (unless it has just recently been watered). Don’t buy that one! When transporting the plant, protect it from chilling winds and temperatures below 50 degrees. Poinsettias are very susceptible to drafts-hot or cold-and will not tolerate them.

Here are some do’s and don’ts of poinsettia care:

• DO place your plant where it can receive indirect sunlight for at least six hours a day (the more light and brighter the light the better).
• DO provide room temperatures of between 65 and 70 degrees F if possible. Poinsettias will last longer if kept on the cool side and the color of the bracts will be enhanced as well.
• DO water your plant when (and only when) its soil feels dry to the touch an inch or two into the soil.

Tim Lewis is a Georgia Green Industry Association Certified Plant Professional, gardening writer, former Perry High School horticulture instructor, and former horticulturalist at Henderson Village and Houston Springs. He and his wife, Susan, own and operate Lewis Farms Nursery located on Hwy 26 two miles east of Elko, where he was born and raised. He can be reached at (478)954-1507,  timlewis1@windstream.net, LewisFarmsNursery.com, or LewisFarmsProduce.com.