TAKING YOUR PLANT HOME
Poinsettias are very sensitive to cold. We sleeve or wrap your plants to protect them as you take them to your car. Do not leave them in an unheated vehicle and take them quickly indoors when you get home.
The assigned botanical name is Euphorbia pulcherrima. It is also sometimes called ‘Christmas Flower’.
The United States’ first ambassador to Mexico, Joel Robert Poinsett, sent several plants back to his home in Greenville, South Carolina in 1825. The common name, Poinsettia, comes from his name.
POINSETTIAS CAN BE IRRITATING
The entire poinsettia plant exudes a milky juice when cut or bruised. Ingesting the plant may produce stomach upset while contact with the milky juice may produce painful skin irritation and discomfort.
Common name: Poinsettia, Christmas Flower
Position: Either a bright location or some sun will keep plants healthy. Warm room temperatures of 60o to 70oF ( 15oto 21oC) are ideal.
Watering: Wait until the surface of the compost dries out before watering. This is essential as over-watering will result in the general collapse of the plant. Try to use water that has reached room temperature rather than cold straight from the tap.
Feeding: A well-balanced liquid feed no more than once a month.
Millions of Poinsettias are purchased each year during the Christmas season by people who enjoy the colour and warmth they provide to the home. Proper selection will help to insure a long lasting plant that you will enjoy throughout the holiday season.
The red Poinsettia is everyone’s all-time Christmas favourite but increasing in popularity are the pink, cream and marbled varieties.
Humber Nurseries Poinsettias are carefully timed to be at their peak of flowering perfection for the Christmas season.
Red “petals” are actually modified leaves called bracts; true, small, yellow flowers are found in the centre of the bracts.
In addition to traditional red, poinsettias come in:
- Marble (pink and white)
- Jingle Bells (red splashed with pink)
- Rose (brilliant pink)
TAKING CARE OF YOUR POINSETTIA
With proper care your Poinsettia will last through the holiday season and retain its bracts well into the new year. Play close attention the following care tips:
- Place in a room where there is sufficient natural light to read fine print but not where the sun will shine directly on the plant in the middle of the day.
- Avoid hot or cold drafts or excess heat from appliances, radiators or ventilating ducts.
- Set the plant in or on a water-proof container to protect your furnishings.
- Water the plant thoroughly when the soil surface is dry. Remember to discard excess water from the saucer, once the plant has absorbed the full amount needed.
- To prolong the bright colour of the bracts, temperatures should not exceed 720F during the day or drop below 600F at night.
REFLOWERING YOUR POINSETTIA
If you have a gardener’s green thumb, you may want to try your hand at reflowering your Poinsettia next year. If you follow these directions very carefully, it is possible to have your Poinsettia in flower by Christmas.
Full bloom. Water as needed.
Colour fades. Keep near sunny window and fertilize when new growth appears. Cut stems back to about 20 cm.
REMEMBER THE KEY TO SUCCESS
Repot if necessary. Fertilize according to directions. Continue to water when dry to touch.
Move outside if temperatures do not fall below 50oF. Place in light shade.
Take inside. Cut stems back, leaving 3 to 4 leaves per shoot. Sunny window. Water and fertilize as needed.
SEP. 20 ’TIL DEC. 1:
Keep in light only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Put in dark (NO LIGHTS) from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Is to follow the strict light/dark instruction very carefully.