Good Poinsettia guide

How to choose a good poinsettia plant

Poinsettia plants are grown on professional nurseries, great care is taken to look after them, the feed, water, height and shape is carefully monitored, to produce the best plant possible.

So why do poinsettias cause so many problems?

On the nursery, the poinsettia has perfect conditions and if you left them on the bench they would look lovely, lasting well into the new year.

On the nursery, they have natural daylight and a steady temperature. The watering is carefully monitored and they are kept moist but not waterlogged. The problems start when you pick them up, put them in a sleeve and pack them ready for delivery to the store. They are now in the dark and have to rely on the carbohydrates stored in the plant to survive, only when they are back in the sunlight can they replenish them. During delivery and while on display in the store, the temperature can fluctuate, this can damage the bracts and affect the roots.

So the problems with poinsettias are caused by delivery and display

What effect packing, delivering and display can have on your poinsettia.

The top shelf have been given simulated transport (put in a sleeve, packed into trays and kept in the dark for 2-3 days) before going into shelf life tests. The bottom shelf moved straight from the nursery to shelf life testing, I think you can see how much better they are. A retailer who can grow their own poinsettias on site will always have better plants. Plants that need to be transported will always suffer. Poinsettias are grown in the UK and all across Europe, where your poinsettia comes from can make a difference.

Choosing a Poinsettia checklist

How to pick a good plant and what to avoid

Buy your plant from a good location, this should be from a brightly lit warm greenhouse or from a well-lit store. It is important that the temperature is stable, free from draughts and definitely not beside the door.
Cold draughts are the main problem, burning the bracts and causing leaf drop. Avoid any plants still in boxes they may have been in the dark for too long.
Where your plants are grown makes a big difference, a British plant will be fresher than a European plant but perhaps the best of all is a locally grown plant or a grower retailer the time spent travelling is minimal.
Check the colourful bracts for damage, any white spots or black edges that you see are permanent and indicates a lack of care when they were handled or perhaps cold damage. You should see the tiny flower buds in the middle of the bract if they fall off or are missing don’t buy, they are old or have been very dry.
The size of the bract is also important, small bracts won’t grow into big bracts, Small bracts are often caused by growth regulants applied while in flower or low temperatures when the flower is developing.
Check the leaves, they should be a good deep green colour, give the plant a shake, most of the leaves should stay on, you may have to remove or pull the sleeve down to check. Two or three small dry or yellow leaves in the middle of the plant are less of a problem, but if lots of the green leaves drop off it could be terminal, save your money.
Check the stems, they are a good indication of how the plant was grown. Plants that have been grown fast and very warm will have thinner stems, they are younger and have a smaller food reserve. Plants grown cooler over a longer time will have thicker stems and have a bigger food reserve, they can cope with cooler temperatures and can last longer.
Check the roots, they are the plant’s power supply, you want to see healthy roots and a good amount of them. They should look pale white.

Looking after your Poinsettia

Start by choosing a good plant

Protect your plant, this should start as soon as you buy it, the plant should be wrapped or bagged in the store, many a poinsettia is damaged on the short trip between the store and the car. Avoid cold draughts and low temperatures on the journey home.
At home, it is important that the temperature is stable, free from cold draughts or fierce heat. Normal house temperatures are okay if you are warm enough, your poinsettia will be fine. Your poinsettia needs sunlight to keep it ticking over, find a position that is in the sun or near bright LED lights.
Watering is easier than you might think, water often, definitely before the leaves droop, but allow the water to drain away, the roots need air. The biggest killer of poinsettias are pot covers, after watering always tip out any excess water. Get in the habit of picking up your plant, it will get lighter before it dries out.