One Man Crew

With Larry off today, I've had a lot of time to myself today. I've been alternating between seed orders and preparing for presentations. I have an interesting one on vines that I've gotten in to preparing. I have thousands of digital images and while they are fairly well organized, the trick is picking out good pictures that will work for the presentation. As I take more pictures, the task of "presentation preparation" becomes more arduous but not any less fun. Maury, Bill, Hal and Dr. Gredler all stopped in briefly but otherwise, I've been self-motivated. Larry will turn on the lights tomorrow night and we don't have much concern at this point regarding how well it will stay on.

I see that garden centers are carrying poinsettias already and the assortment of available varieties is amazing. Included below is an article I wrote on poinsettias and their care.

It’s difficult not to notice a poinsettia during December. They are commonly used for decoration in businesses and perhaps in your home with shades of red, white, pink, combined colors and now a multitude of exciting (albeit non-traditional) “color enhancements”. Poinsettias, the best-selling flowering plant in the United States, have become synonymous with the holiday season. There are well over 100 varieties of this classic plant with the bulk of the world’s crop produced annually in California. Over 60 million of these plants are sold every year with a large portion of these being discarded after the New Year. With proper care, the colorful impact of poinsettias can be prolonged and enjoyed. With very special attention, poinsettias can be maintained and encouraged to repeat their holiday “color contribution” the following December.

Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are native to southern Mexico and parts of Central America. In their native habitat, these plants are large shrubs reaching heights of ten feet. The Aztecs used the sap of this plant to control fevers and the leaves were used to create a purplish-red dye. Note that the sap of this plant may cause an allergic skin reaction for select individuals, particularly those with a latex allergy. Joel Robert Poinsett, the first U.S. Embassador to Mexico, introduced this plant to the United States in 1825 and the plant was later named for him. Incidentally, Mr. Poinsett was also responsible for establishing the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

There are some facts to consider in regards to this popular plant. The showy colored parts of the plants that most people call flowers are in fact modified leaves (or bracts). The flowers are actually the small, yellow-green centers between the colorful bracts. Poinsettias are termed a photoperiodic plant meaning that buds are set and flowers produced as the autumn nights lengthen. The timing to produce blooms for the holiday season can be difficult outside the controlled environment of a greenhouse where moisture and lighting can be very precise. Poinsettias have long been considered a poisonous plant but extensive research has found this to be a myth. However, ingestion of the plant by humans and animals is obviously not recommended.

Once poinsettias are purchased in December, they typically look the most attractive for 2-4 weeks. This duration of color impact (and your enjoyment) can be extended significantly with proper care although most poinsettias are composted or tossed out after the holidays. Following some simple procedures will maximize the health and appearance of your poinsettia and you may consider adding to the ranks of your other houseplants.

Place the plant in a window where it receives bright, but indirect light. Be sure the plant doesn’t touch any cold window panes. Keep the plant at 65-70 degrees F during the day and if possible, a cooler spot at night (55-60 degrees F) but never below 50 degrees F. Keep the plant away from both warm and cold drafts from radiators, air registers, doors and windows. After the plant is done blooming, consider a light fertilizer application every month (never while blooming!).

In regards to watering, first remove any foil or other wrapping that affects surplus water flowing thru the base of the container. Any poinsettia container should have drainage holes. Examine the soil daily and water when the top surface is dry to the touch. Let surplus water run out and discard any additional water that collects in the saucer. Mist leaves occasionally for increased humidity as needed. The key to watering success with poinsettias is to avoid moisture extremes; not too dry or not too wet.

To say that it is a challenge to maintain a poinsettia with the intent of display the following holiday season would be an understatement. However, it can be done although the extensive details can’t be covered in the content of this article. Understand that this process will include repotting, fertilizer applications and replicating complete darkness to incite flowering and coloration of the bracts. For more details on how to maintain your poinsettia thru the year with the intent of “recreating” that classic, colorful look, refer to the following websites or visit your local library.
www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/poinsettia/reflowering.html
www.ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1248.html
www.ecke.com/html/h_corp/corp_pntcare.html#rebloom