1. Poinsettia Production By: Johnny M. Jessup Agriculture Teacher/FFA Advisor

2. Introduction Most important pot plant grown for the Christmas season.

3. Poinsettia Production Many different cultivars grown Freedom (early) V14 Marble Jingle Bells Gary (late)

4. Poinsettia Facts Brought to the U.S. by J.R. Poinsett, the 1 st U.S. ambassador to Mexico. Come in a variety of colors including…. Red* Pink White Speckled Red is the Most Popular

5. Poinsettia Facts The colorful part is actually not the flower. It is a colorful leaf called a bract. The actual flower is yellow.

6. Parts of the Poinsettia

7. Poinsettia Production Wholesale growers supply 2¼” rooted cuttings.

8. Poinsettia Production Number of plants per pot depends…. On the pot size. Whether the plants will be pinched or grown as single stem. Size of flower.

9. Poinsettia Production 4” pots 1 plant for pinched or single stem. 6” pots 2 plants for pinched. 3 or 4 for single stem. 8” pot 3 or 4 plants for pinched. 6 or 7 for single stem.

10. Poinsettia Production Temperatures Should be 65 o F at night. 70 – 75 o F during the day. Plants will flower late or not at all if night temps gets above 80 o F. *Some cultivars may vary.

11. Poinsettia Best Practices Pinching Done to increase the number of bracts on the plant. Makes the plant appear fuller by having more flowers per stem.

12. Poinsettia Production Media must be…. Free from diseases and insects. Porous and well drained.

13. Poinsettia Best Practices Large amounts of fertilizer needed from propagation until sold. 6 days of water soluble 20-10-20 Clean water for rinse on Sunday Poinsettia top dressing (15-16-17)

14. Poinsettia Best Practices Pot August 15-20 th Keep really wet 1 st three days (wet floor) Tight Spacing Day 2 Fungicide Drench ( 1oz to 100 gal) Repeat every 30 days (stop in November) Prevents root rot and botrytis.

15. Poinsettia Best Practices Cycocel Growth regulator Applied in September Drench or spray. Keeps poinsettias compact and from stretching.

16. Poinsettia Best Practices Insects Marathon for white flies. (1/3 teaspoon to 6 ½” pot)

17. Poinsettia Best Practices Molybdenum: Bad leaves w/ little points (1 oz to 3 gal of water)

18. Poinsettia Production Poinsettias are a short day photoperiodic plant. Bud set light period is from 12 hours to 12 hours and 15 minutes. Vegetative growth light period is longer than hours. Two hours of light from about 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. each night will cause short day effect.

19. Happy Holidays

20. Designed By: Johnny M. Jessup; FFA Advisor Hobbton High School