Christmas flowers are native to Mexico and are named after Joel Roberts Poinsette, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and U.S. Congressman. The poinsettia flower was discovered during his voyage to Mexico around Christmas and afterwards presented to Americans. Since then, poinsettia, also known as the Christmas Star flower, has been the main Christmas plant all over the world. In the UK the poinsettia has become the UK’s number one houseplant over the winter holiday season with over eight million plants sold every year!
Worth mentioning
Although red poinsettias are the most popular and the best-selling of all, thanks to the hard work of breeders over the past decades, more than 150 different varieties have been created, including beautiful pinks, oranges, creams and whites. People who buy these festive plants most likely do not even know that to manage the flowering of poinsettias and achieve flowering just for Christmas time, greenhouses should be prepared from the end of September.
This indoor flower blooms towards the end of the long night period and therefore, it is necessary to artificially increase the nights to 14-15 hours from the beginning of autumn. To do this, the plant is covered at night for 8 weeks with a dark cap and kept in the dark for 14 hours. It is important not to block the access of air. During the day, poinsettias need to provide normal lighting. Without these actions the poinsettia will bloom towards the end of winter. Yes, poinsettias are not easy to grow, but with significant practice and the elimination of a few common mistakes, poinsettia production can become a great source of joy and revenue.
Soil – the basis of your success
Nord Agri is your partner when it comes to the production of best quality poinsettias. Growing poinsettia in the professional floriculture industry requires even more care, scheduling and timing than other cultures. Nord Agri’s high quality control guarantees that your holiday plants will have identical physical and chemical characteristics from one load of mix to another, ensuring a remarkably uniform product.
Poinsettias are particular about their soil. Different plant species have different requirements for moisture retention, temperature, and other qualities. So, choosing the right soil is the first step in ensuring any plant thrives in its environment.
In most cases poinsettia appreciates loose, well-draining soil with a neutral to slightly acidic pH from 5.5 to 7.0. The key is to find a balance of adequate drainage and plenty of moisture. Soil choice is crucial for any plant’s health. The right soil delivers everything from moisture and oxygen to humic and fulvic acids. Soil also works as an anchor for your plants, giving them a sturdy place to establish roots and grow strong.
This plant loves peat-based soil because it provides drainage while retaining enough water to keep its roots happy. If you prefer not to make your own mix, your poinsettias will enjoy Nordi Agri’s pre-made soil mix HORTIFLOR – premium flower substrate specifically for this plant. This substrate has adjusted pH level and necessary additives for healthy and strong flowers, adapted fertilization level, additional perlite for increased aeration and water retention, and additional clay for improved humidity and nutrient efficiency.
If you are using the wrong soil mix for your poinsettias, you may notice one or more of the following signs:
- Leaves droop or wilt
- Leaves and bracts fall off
- Leaves turn yellow
- The plant develops root rot
With high-quality peat moss and other ingredients, HORTIFLOR professional growing mix is designed to maximize your business results. Nord Agri helps you produce the best quality poinsettia possible.
What else matters?
Watering
Poinsettia requires abundant watering. But at the same time, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil. The water temperature should be several degrees warmer than the air temperature in the room. From cold water, the plant can shed its leaves. Water during irrigation should saturate the substrate, pass through the drainage, and its excess should come out of the hole in the pot. In no case should the roots be allowed to be constantly in the water.
Spraying
Twice a day, it is necessary to spray the air around the plant, increasing its humidity, thereby creating the conditions of native tropical forests. At the same time, it is not desirable to get on the leaves, they can become stained. In March, spraying should be stopped for a dormant period, but around May with the beginning of the growth of new shoots, spraying may be resumed. The frequency depends on humidity and air temperature. On hot days, spraying should be carried out more often, on cool days without it at all.
The Christmas star has a fairly strong immunity, although she is quite demanding and capricious.
Feeding
Poinsettia plants can not fed during the flowering period and during the dormant period, that is the reason why long-acting fertilizers are added to the soil mixture when transplanting. Also, in spring and summer and in autumn, before flowering, the poinsettia is fed with a complex soluble fertilizer 2-3 times a month.
If you have concluded that you are not using the right and possibly the best type of substrate for your poinsettias, Nord Agri professionals will help in finding the right mixture for you or even develop a unique recipe depending on your needs. All substrates can be customized with adjusted fertilization, pH and wetting agent levels to achieve the highest growing results.
In Peat we trust!