Poinsettia Care in the Retail Area
Essential information to ensure your Poinsettia look their best, to keep losses to a minimum and provide your customers with amazing Christmas plants.
Please pass this info on to the person responsible for them.
- Check your heating systems in advance, place a high/low thermometer in the area overnight and check the lowest temperature. Keep them above 15 degrees C day and night.
- Check that heaters will not blow directly onto plants. Black heat gas heaters in the roof can scorch the leaves and bracts.
- Make sure the area has plenty of natural daylight. Dull areas make the leaves go yellow.
- Unwrap the plants immediately on delivery to let them breathe and to avoid the build-up of moisture around the bracts.
- Space them out as much as possible to allow light and air reach the lower leaves. The longer they are kept sleeved or boxed, the more problems you will have with mouldy bracts and yellow leaves.
- Moisture in the air around the plants is the greatest danger. Just one damp night can cause brown speckling on the bracts especially with paler colours. Keep humidity as low as possible. To do this keep leaves and bracts dry by only watering the compost, no water on the leaves and bracts; water in the morning so they are not wet at night; never place fleece over the plants as it traps moisture. Never mist the plants. An office fan can help to keep the air moving gently around the plants especially in damp weather. Often heating is more about keeping the atmosphere around the plants dry rather than protecting from the cold.
- High humidity = spotting and brown mouldy patches on the bracts = unmarketable plants.
- Keep the compost just moist but not too wet; do not let them sit in water. Be careful of wet capillary matting in watering trays. On the other hand, if they are allowed to wilt, the leaves will go yellow. Use water at room temperature by leaving a full watering can to warm overnight; the roots hate to be shocked by freezing cold water, it can cause root death. No fertiliser is needed.
- When unwrapping the plants, tear the sleeves open to avoid breaking branches off.
Give
advice to your customers.
Tell them to:
Place Poinsettia in a very light place with lots of natural light, remember these plants originally came from Mexico – the land of sombreros not woolly hats! This is the most important piece of advice to pass on.
Keep them above 15 degrees C, usually not a problem in modern homes but behind curtains on cold nights can give them a chill.
Keep well watered (but not to sit in water) especially if the room is warm. Tip water away after 10 minutes
Avoid leaving the plants in a car for long periods, especially if cold outside.
Avoid cold and draughty rooms (definitely not the garage overnight!).
Unwrap the plants as soon as possible by tearing open the sleeves.
Give the nursery a ring if you have any queries or need advice. 01507 602298