Suicidal Poinsettias

[mattl]

Bordine's is expensive but do have quality products.  Years ago I had one of their Landscape Designer's redo my front yard, looked great, to me worth the cost, lots of compliments.

 

They are about the only place I can find a 10' tree for Christmas.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Great advice about shielding any tropical plant from cold temps and chilly winds, Matt.  If I find something tropical I just have to have in chilly weather, I will go back to the car for a large plastic bag for the trip from store to car to house.

 

[rp2813]

What's interesting is that for as long as I can remember, around here most stores put their poinsettias outside -- in the garden department if they had one, or just out in front of the store if they didn't.  There they were, getting blown around on a cold December day when the wind chill could be near freezing, and they looked no worse for wear by the time the holidays were over and they were being sold cheap.  Go figure.

 

I'm relying on this procedure for the discards I just picked up over the weekend.  If we get a cold snap where overnight temps get down near freezing, then I'll bring them into the basement until that spell is over, otherwise they'll be getting acclimated on the back of the Jimmy until it's planting time

 

[lotsosudz]

Silk Poinsettias

I have found over the years, that if i buy silk poinsettias, I don't kill them. lol I got tired of loving the look of them but tired of picking up leaves off the floor, So I went to nice quality silk varieties, and have not killed one of those since. LOL
Hugs,
David

 

[rp2813]

One Out of Three Ain't Bad

At least not when you're talking about poinsettias.

 

I thought I'd revive this thread even though it's not even Thanksgiving yet, so I'm violating one of my hard and fast rules, as dictated by one of the poinsettias I rescued from the gutter in early January (see pictures above) that not only survived, but has started to bloom!  The others failed in fairly short order (the standard type one) or suddenly over the past summer (the round leaf one).

 

This plant had been outdoors in the same plastic pot I had it in originally, by the back wall of the house with an eastern exposure.  I watered it sparingly and fed it once in a while and recently decided it deserved a larger clay pot.  About a month and a half ago, I gave it a dose of bloom food but doubted it would have any effect.  About three weeks ago, the newest leaves started to turn a bronze color which has since developed into a bright red.  The picture doesn't do it justice.

 

Needless to say, I'm surprised and amazed.  Even my buddy's poinsettias, which are older, much more developed and bushy and have been outside in larger pots, are not showing any color change -- at least not yet.

 

I intend to plant this one in the ground where it's currently located.  It's clear that it's happy in that spot.  Maybe in the spring depending on how well it does over the winter.

 

I'll post another shot if/when it hits its peak bloom.

 

[bradfordwhite]

They are tricky

Greenhouses have tricks to get them red just in time for the holiday.

I too have tried to keep them alive afterwards.

How To Get a Poinsettia To Turn Red - Mel's Garden

How can you turn your poinsettia red again? Follow these tips to care for your poinsettia year round and force it to turn red again for the holidays.

wheelbarrowexpert.com

 

[circlew]

The place I work is supposed to be getting in poinsettias in a week or so. They will only be there for a day or so before they are taken to the clients for their displays. When I worked there in 2018 we got over 300 from the grower. They had to have colored foil covers placed over the pots. We are doing all the decorations for the Greater Cincinnati Airport, but don't know if they get any of the poinsettias.

 

[mattl]

I've manged to keep a few from last year, but none show any signs of blooming.  I've managed to do that a while ago but never since. 

 

going to hit HD is a week or so and get a new crop.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I wonder if, as soon as one of these shows signs of distress, it was plucked from the soil and put in a glass of water it might live. It might help if it had an inadequately developed root system, but if it was damaged due to being chilled, it probably would not help.

Poinsettias are triggered to color up the top leaves and produce flowers by lengthening nights so there is a complicated method that involves putting an indoor plant in a closet for increasingly longer periods EVERY NIGHT to mimic the longer nights leading through fall up to Christmas. You also need to use a fertilizer like Miracle Gro's Bloom Boost formula with a high middle number to encourage flower production; otherwise the plant just produced lots of green leaves.

 

[rp2813]

Tom, I did rescue one cutting from a section of the plant pictured above that somehow was broken off.  I had it in water over the summer, where it remained in a sort of suspended state, not producing roots or any new growth.  Just hanging out and not looking any better or worse.

 

I finally decided it wanted to live, so I dipped it in rooting hormone and stuck it in a small pot.  It has grown very slowly, but that's progress.  I'll be bringing it inside when overnight temps drop consistently below 45.  With any luck, it will take off outside next year but will remain in a container for at least a season or two, I'm sure.

 

I'll try to remember to snap a picture to post here.

 

[rp2813]

Here's the cutting I took from the broken piece.   Propane canister placed for scale purposes.  It will be interesting to see what it looks like a year from now, if it doesn't decide to check out before then.

 

Sorry, the transition from IOS to AWO ran into the usual automatic re-orienting issue with this particular shot.

 

[mattl]

Well we will see how this years crop fares. Been out of town for a bit, noticed HD had their $1.98 poinsettias in already.  Called my brother and asked him to pick up 10 for me before they are gone.  They are sitting in my cool house till I get back in a few days.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I'm glad that the gas canister was not placed there as a threat. If it does not have any roots, it would probably have a better chance of survival of you removed most of the leaves.

 

[rp2813]

Tom, except for small tips of leaves that existed when the cutting was in a suspended state while in water for a couple of months, all of the growth you see in that picture developed after I potted it up.   If anything, presuming it survives under a timed grow light in the basement until spring, I will pinch it back when I put it outside again next year.  The pot got knocked over by a squirrel but it didn't faze the cutting.  It's been a trooper so I have high hopes for it.

 

[tomturbomatic]

That's great. All of the growth shows that the plant has produced roots. I thought that the photo was of the recently broken stem.

 

[mattl]

3 down agin...

As I mentioned earlier I had my brother pick up a dozen poinsettias at HD.  Well, 3 weeks in and 3 are goners.  All treated the same, all the same light, weird.  Might see if HD will replace them.

 

Side note a few of my hold over from last year are showing signs of color.  Small red bracts  are forming.  Did nothing special, they spent the summer outdoors, came in in early Oct. kept them in my morning room  North and East facing large windows.  Moderately dark at night but occasionally I turn the lights on in there plus it faces the corner of my streets so there are a fair amount of headlights turning the corner at night.  I'll try and post a pic tomorrow.

 

[rp2813]

Matt, I think if they can survive past the holidays, even if they go into shock after being in an ideal environment at the grower's facility, they'll become acclimated like yours and mine from last year did. 

 

My buddy gave me a huge plant -- really three of them in one large pot -- before Thanksgiving and it's doing fine in a west facing window that up until last week was having its blinds almost completely closed on sunny afternoons.  I've only watered it sparingly, like two or three times, and barely a cup full each time.

 

Even my little cutting has some small leaves at the top that are turning red.  It's in the basement under a grow light with other tender plants, likely for the next few months.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I wonder if there is a variation of root development among the plants in the batches and those that do not develop sufficient roots eventually succumb.