Down To Earth
By Gerlind Dubey (11/28/2008)

Pamper Your
Poinsettia

Poinsettias are very sensitive to temperature fluctuations and will drop their leaves with the least provocation.

One of the first signs that the Holidays are here is the arrival of hundreds upon hundreds of Poinsettia plants to retail sources. Though I profess to have a green thumb, this cherished Christmas plant has never thrived in my care. Typically the leaves wither and die well before Christmas, and all I have left is a spindly stem with a showy flower (which by the way is not really a flower, but are actually colored bracts- modified leaves).

Doubting my gardening skills I decided to thoroughly research the care of Poinsettia’s. I found that I am guilty of gross neglect, but then who’s got the time to check their plants on a daily basis during the busy Christmas Season? The book says to examine the soil daily. When the surface is dry to the touch, water the soil until it runs freely from the drainage hole in the container (my first mistake was not to punch a hole in bottom of the foil wrapping therefore leaving the roots swimming). Do not leave the plant standing in water. Overly wet soil lacks sufficient air, which results in root injury. If a saucer is used, discard the water that collects in it.

Thanks to modern day hybridizing, Poinsettia’s come in a multitude of marbled or solid holiday colors, as well as curly and double leaved varieties. Whatever color you decide on, choose your plant carefully. Never buy a Poinsettia that has been placed outside or kept in a chilly, drafty spot (such as a display by the door); Poinsettias are very sensitive to temperature fluctuations and will drop their leaves at the least provocation. As we live in the North, never buy a Poinsettia from a place that doesn’t provide plastic wrapping to get the plant from the greenhouse to the car without injury (paper bags will also work as protection).

Once you get your Poinsettia home, place it carefully, away from draughts and heat sources, which can cause leaf drop. Do not put it on top of a television, near a fireplace or ventilating duct, anywhere near a door, or let the leaves touch a cold widow. Poinsettias like room temperatures of between 68 - 70° F; their color lasts longest when temperatures do not exceed 70° F during the daytime or fall below 65° F at night. They need at least six hours per day of indirect sunlight; if direct sunlight can’t be avoided, diffuse the light with a curtain or another plant.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!