Poinsettia Problem

Hysteresis · 18 Dec 2008

Mrs Hysteresis gets a couple of Poinsettia's every Christmas and they usually last until late January even early February. The two she has received this year, both from different suppliers, have been very disappointing.
Although looking healthy on delivery, one lasted a week and the second is on it's last legs after only two weeks.
She has looked after them in a similar way to past years, ie out of draughts, not in direct sunlight, the pots well drained and the compost kept damp.
Any ideas anyone as to what may be the problem?

2scoops0406 · 19 Dec 2008

Plenty of light, warm min ~21 deg C away from drafts and direct heat, i.e. radiators, water sparingly.

That said, they all seem to go rapidly south in my experience.

Hysteresis · 19 Dec 2008

2scoops0406 said:
Plenty of light, warm min ~21 deg C away from drafts and direct heat, i.e. radiators, water sparingly.

That said, they all seem to go rapidly south in my experience.

All of these criteria are satisfied apart from maybe the 21'C min. Over night when the CH is off maybe the temp drops below this.
Mrs Hysteresis has managed to hang on to these Poinsettia's remarkably well in past years, but this year something different is happenong and up to now we can't identify it. I thought maybe someone had some information such as the bad summer has affected the plants early development or some such obscure reasons.
Thanks for your interest.

2scoops0406 · 19 Dec 2008

I don't think they'd worry about direct sunlight, after all they come from sunny climes (carribean ?????) but... anything different this year, well its been the coldest start to winter for 30 years....

Hysteresis · 19 Dec 2008

2scoops0406 said:
I don't think they'd worry about direct sunlight, after all they come from sunny climes (carribean ?????) but... anything different this year, well its been the coldest start to winter for 30 years....

Maybe the shortage of Sun in our non existent Summer has caused the problem. Or am I talking rubbish with that thought?

2scoops0406 · 19 Dec 2008

'suppose it's possible, but they're grown in poly's with artificial heat /light, maybe stored badly, dunno. BTW, they are short lived perennials so once the bracts have gone, you can still grow them on for next year.

elisa123 · 23 Dec 2008

I don't know where you bought the plant but I think that in supermarkets the plants are kept too wet especially as they are wrapped in plastic as well. Last year my p. lasted for 7 months, this year's is going back to S. tonight (I phoned them up and complained). We bought it 3 weeks ago and the soil is still very wet and most of the leaves have fallen off.

Hysteresis · 23 Dec 2008

elisa123 said:
I don't know where you bought the plant but I think that in supermarkets the plants are kept too wet especially as they are wrapped in plastic as well. Last year my p. lasted for 7 months, this year's is going back to S. tonight (I phoned them up and complained). We bought it 3 weeks ago and the soil is still very wet and most of the leaves have fallen off.

Although I said Mrs Hysteresis bought them , in fact they were both gifts, one form ASDA and the other form a Florist. Your 7 months for a poinsettia is very impressive, we regularly get three months but these last two lasted one week and the one form Asda two weeks. As they were gifts we have no receipt but I think ASDA will be getting it back anyway, it is either that or the compost heap.
Thanks for the reply.

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Poinsettia Problem

Hysteresis

2scoops0406

Hysteresis

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Hysteresis

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elisa123

Hysteresis

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