Well it’s that time again poinsettias are in stores and florist everywhere. It just seems like they show up all of the sudden but have you ever wondered how. Well it all starts back at the summer when little cutting are taken from the stock plants.
The cuttings are taken anywhere along the stem and then placed into a rooting medium. Here they’re sprayed with a mist of water every 30 minutes or so until the roots develop. Now this only takes about three weeks.
Next, they’re planted in pots where they can grow to full size. Now once they fill out grows begin to cut back on the line. This is done because the reduced light causes the color of the leaves to change from green to red.
Notice I said leaves, what we think of is the petals of the flowers are actually leaves. The flower is the sort of yellow guy here in the center. But of course it’s this fiery red leaves that catch our attention.
Now they don’t stop with just traditional red these days, take a look at some of the new varieties that have been developed since the 1960’s. These days they come in all shades of white to pink, some are blots and speckled, while others looks like they’ve been frosted with color.
The great thing about all of this is it would seem that now we poinsettia to match every color theme and d?cor. But now matter your preference I think you’d have to agree that there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes to bring this festive flowers to us to enjoy during the holiday. From the garden, I’m Allen Smith.
For more on this topic and other information just check out my website P.AllenSmith.com and make sure you watch me on the MBC today show on December 6 and 8 where I’m going to show some holiday tips.
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